


The Perfect Girlfriend

by TheTruthAboutLove



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Drama, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Kissing, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-08-16 18:37:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 63,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8113033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTruthAboutLove/pseuds/TheTruthAboutLove
Summary: Maria's sister is getting married and her parents are trying to set her up with a date for the wedding. Natasha offers to go with her, instead, because what could possibly go wrong while pretending you're dating the best friend you're actually in love with? They're super spies, so they're exceptionally good at lying. Especially to themselves.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the BlackHill Fake Dating AU nobody asked for, but I wrote anyway.

She was nervous.

She was a decorated marine, a soldier, an agent. She was the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., for Thor's sake. But there she was, outside Pepper's office, nervous to knock on her door.

And she wasn't nervous about what she was there to ask, she was uneasy because of the reason she was asking, and the fact that once she got what she was there to ask for, there was no backing off from it all.

She sighed deeply, then knocked.

“Come in, Maria.”

Of course, Pepper's assistant had announced her.

She opened the door, seeing Tony Stark sitting across from Pepper, in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. On the right, in a small couch, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were sitting like it was a cozy Saturday instead of the office of the most important CEO of the world.

“I can come back later if you're busy.”

“We were actually just chatting. There seems to be no way of bringing everyone back together for the time being.”

“I'm sorry to hear that” Maria said, more towards Natasha and Clint than Pepper.

“What did you want to tell me?” Pepper encouraged her.

Maria sighed again. “I wanted to ask you for a five days leave.”

Stark faked a gasp and sat upright. “Maria Hill takes vacations?”

Maria rolled her eyes and sighed again.

“Trust me I'd much rather work. But my sister is getting married.”

“Want to sit down?” Natasha gestured to the place on the couch next to her and as soon as Maria sat down she turned towards her. “I thought your sister was already married” she pointed out.

“Wait, you have a sister?” Tony was more and more surprised.

“I have two sisters and a brother. One is forty and has two kids and one is thirty-four and getting married. And it's bad enough that I'm thirty-two and attending her wedding single, but my parents are nagging me so badly lately, since I've stopped working for S.H.I.E.L.D. they have been harassing me non-stop to get me to settle down with, and I quote, 'someone decent, Maria, don't be too picky'.”

“High expectations, I see” Pepper laughed lightly.

“I just wish they'd stop for ten minutes sending me pictures of possible dates they want to set me up with for the wedding. It's awful.”

“When do you need your leave?”

“In two weeks, if that's okay. Please say it's not, it's too short notice and I _must_ stay” she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Pepper snorted. “You deserve a break, Maria. Go and have fun!”

Maria rolled her eyes and sighed again. Pepper was in deep thought for a moment and then she tapped her hand on her desk like she had a brilliant idea on the spot.

“Take Tony!”

Maria laughed out loud. “Okay, first thing, there is absolutely no chance in hell that I'll take this man” she pointed to Stark “to my sister's wedding. He breaks havoc wherever he goes, plus I can't stand him.”

“Oh, Hill please. You love me” he scoffed.

“Second thing, you and him are on every cover of every magazine. Someone might know something's up” she said, shrugging.

“Then take Barton. Nobody knows he's married” Pepper proposed.

“I don't think Laura would be thrilled” she laughed again. “Plus I can't take him.”

“Why not, am I not 'someone decent' enough?” he asked, faking offense.

“No, you're great Clint” Maria sighed again. “But I've been out to my family since I was sixteen, I doubt they would buy that we're together anymore than me being with Tony Stark.”

There was silence for a long while.

“You've been” Tony started, then paused. “Out to you're family? As in” he gestured with his hand and said nothing more.

Natasha was, surprisingly, the one to roll her eyes.

“Do you have a problem with non-straight people?” the redhead asked, unimpressed.

“No, of course not!” he said almost offended. “I just didn't know.”

“Have you seen me, Stark? How can you not know?” Maria laughed a little, then, looking around, she realized everyone seemed kind of fazed, except for Natasha. “Really, you didn't know?” she asked a little more serious.

“I knew” Natasha said casually. “Don't mind them, they're not spies, and you're not that easy to figure out.”

“Well, Romanoff, coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment.”

“I've been trying to set you up with both James or Sam for months, you could have said something, Maria” Pepper told her, with one of her eyebrows raised.

“You've been _what_ now” she grimaced. “I'm sorry, I didn't really notice, I've been a little preoccupied lately.”

Pepper sighed and sat back in her chair.

“So, about the leave?”

“Sure, fill the form and I'll sign it” Pepper told her with a small smile.

“Great” Maria stood up, reaching in her back pocket and handing Pepper the aforementioned piece of paper, already filled.

She laughed, shaking her head, because of course Maria already filled one. She signed it quickly and told her to take it to her assistant to have it archived.

“Sorry to have interrupted your chat. I'm going home, if that's alright.”

“Of course, you finished your shift almost one hour ago” Pepper told her.

She waved at everyone, but the door hadn't even shut behind her, when Natasha also exited the office.

“Hey, Hill.”

“What?” she turned around, smiling when she saw Natasha smirk that announced trouble. “Please tell me you need help in a life threatening mission. Don't tell Pepper, but the desk work is slowly killing me” she whispered leaning towards her.

“Not at the moment, but I'll keep you in mind if something comes up” she whispered back.

They both laughed, then Natasha's voice went back to its normal volume.

“I'll come with you.”

Maria looked puzzled.

“To the wedding. As your date. Fake date, whatever. We can make up a story about how we fell in love when I get back from Clint's house in a few days, if you're up for it. You're not the only one who's going to be killed by boredom, I haven't been undercover in so long that this actually sounds like the best thing I could be doing with my time.”

Maria was taken aback by the offer and paused for a moment.

“Come on, Maria, it'll be fun. Working together, no boys around to mess things up, just you and me” Natasha's smirk was a reminder of every perfect mission they scored together, of every night they spent drinking cheap vodka and laughing on the Helicarrier, of every opportunity Maria saw coming and going and never took.

They used to be really close friends, they had been for a long time. Then, life happened and the Avengers happened. They didn't see very much of each other those days, but they occasionally still had their nights out or in or wherever.

They used to talk a lot.

Maria was the first person Natasha opened up with, except maybe for Clint. And Natasha had been the only person Maria deeply and truly trusted both in and outside work.

The best part was, theirs was one of those friendships where no matter how much time goes by, you can talk for five minutes and it's like it's been no time at all. Maria's feeling towards Natasha were unfading and unwavering, she would always love her as her best friend, regardless of the time they spent apart.

The worst part was, Maria's feeling towards Natasha were unfading and unwavering, she would always love her much more than she was supposed to love her best friend, regardless of the time they spent apart. It was heartbreaking, to know she could have never had it all. But being her friend was amazing and it was more than enough.

“I'm going to be there for a whole week, Nat. Are you sure you're up for it?” she asked, uncertainty filling her voice.

“Of course. I've always wanted to meet your family anyway” she smirked again. “Besides, you can rub in their faces that you're dating someone so awful that whomever you end up with, they're going to absolutely love.”

“What are you talking about, they adore you. My niece is obsessed with you, she's never going to leave your side if she recognizes you.”

Natasha's brow furrowed slightly.

“Nat, you're a hero” she whispered, taking her hand gently. “Everybody sees in you the amazing woman who saved the world a bunch of times, you should start to see her, too, because she's awesome and you're missing out” she joked.

Natasha snorted and it made her smile, her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her laugh.

“Well then, it's settled. I'll be your perfect girlfriend for a week.”

“Can't wait” Maria said, with a forced laugh, because she was totally joking and she didn't mean it in the slightest.

“I'll see you next week, Mia.”

“Give a hug to the kids for me, too.”

She turned around and called for the elevator.

It was, admittedly, a terrible, awful idea. Pretending to be dating Natasha was bound to make her go crazy some way or the other.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

What had she gotten herself into?

  


Exactly one week after that day, Natasha texted her she was back in New York and they could meet as soon as Maria wanted to decide what to do.

She showed up at Maria's place at eight o'clock with pizza and six beers.

“You are a vision.”

“It's nice to see you, too, Hill.”

“I was talking to the beers.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and let herself in.

“I bought your favorite, pepperoni and cheese.”

“You're making pretending to love you _so easy_ already” she said, immediately going for the pizza as soon as Natasha sat it down on the counter.

The redhead swatted her hand away.

“At least wait until I grab some plates.”

Hill rolled her eyes.

“I already did, they're on the coffee table in front of the TV, so we can eat on the couch. There are napkins, too.”

“Good, then open a couple of these” she handed Maria the beers. “And I'll wait for you on you amazingly comfortable couch.”

She lifted the pizza box again and sat it on the table, sitting down on the couch.

Maria joined her shortly after, offering her an open beer.

“So, I was thinking we could go for the truth. Well, obviously not the truth, but something close, like, tell the story of how we met as it is and just add that one day we fell in love or something” she shrugged, starting to eat her first slice of pizza.

“Very romantic, Maria” Natasha rolled her eyes. “Well at least let's make up an awesome first date or a first kiss.”

“Well, the close it is to the real story the more believable it will be. We could just say that the at the Ice Skating Stadium was our first date, if you think it was romantic enough. I mean, picture it as if Steve took you there. It would have been pretty romantic.”

“Ew, Hill, Steve's like my brother.”

“You know what I meant” she rolled her eyes. “I had it rented just for us for the evening, I knew you loved figure skating and ballet, but since it was creepy to rent you a stage to just dance in front of me, I took you there on your first night as a free woman in the US.”

“I was pretty bored of the Helicarrier. And you're a pretty good ice skater, if I say so” Natasha conceded with a smile that broke through even though she tried to hide it.

“And we danced and laughed a lot. And I was so glad you asked me to show you around, I never had a friendship I valued as much as yours before.”

“You made hot tea to warm us up after skating, but we lost track of time and it was cold when we finished. I was so happy that night” she admitted quietly.

“Me, too” Maria said just as softly.

“You took me to that Italian restaurant after, it was the best meal of my life.”

“If you like Italian food wait until you taste my mother's cooking, you'll want to marry me just to keep eating that.”

Natasha laughed.

“I don't know about the first kiss, let's just say it was after that first date” Maria added.

“Sounds fair, it _was_ a pretty impressive date, so I guess a kiss would have been appropriate.”

Maria wanted desperately to ask her why, then, it hadn't been one. Why the thought never crossed Natasha's mind before. But she had the nagging feeling she already knew why. Natasha wasn't into women. And she certainly wasn't into her.

“If someone asks for more details than that, shoot them in the foot” Maria suggested, making Natasha laugh.

“Alright, but if we started dating so briefly after I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. that means we've been together for eight years.”

“You're right. Well, let's say we started dating about a couple years ago, after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. We didn't see each other much for a few months, so it makes sense we kept it a secret, but now we're both in New York and things are starting to get serious so you're coming to my sister's wedding. Sounds real enough?”

Natasha nodded. “It's perfect.”

Maria smiled.

It was in that moment that her phone vibrated.

She opened a text from her mother just to sigh and cover her face with one hand, passing the phone to Natasha blindly.

“Do you see this? This happens twice a day” she glanced at Natasha.

She was swiping through her gallery, looking at all the pictures her mother was sending her of possible dates.

“She's pretty” Natasha showed her one of the pictures.

Maria looked at the screen and laughed lightly.

“That's a selfie you took with my phone two months ago, Nat.”

The redhead smirked. “You have to call her and tell her you're bringing someone.”

Maria sighed, taking back her phone. Natasha nodded towards it, encouraging her. She dialed the number before she could change her mind.

“Hey, Mom. Yeah, I saw it. No, Mom. Look, I actually called to tell you I'm coming to the wedding with someone. A date.”

Natasha was looking at her and smiling. She felt herself blushing and she wished she could disappear from the face of Earth.

“Yes, my girlfriend. A couple of years but it's been serious just for a few months. No, I didn't tell you before because I didn't know if she wanted to come, Mom. Yes, I'll tell her. We'll be there in a week. Yes, yes, I know. Bye, Mom.”

“That was pretty easy, wasn't it?” Natasha offered a smile.

“She wanted me to tell you that she's making you lasagna for when we arrive and homemade pizza and a thing called ravioli. My mother's part of the family is Italian, did I mention that?”

“I _love_ Lasagna. I can't wait to meet them” Natasha smiled brightly and kept eating pizza and drinking beer.

And Maria wished this could be real.

“I make a pretty awesome lasagna, by the way” she mention casually.

Natasha's eyes were suddenly on her and she had an incredulous look.

“Maria Hill, why have you never made me lasagna before? You've been holding out on me this whole time, which other lies have you told me?” she faked a heartbroken voice.

Maria did her best to refrain from smiling, failing miserably.

“I also know how to make pizza, theoretically. I'm just very, very bad at it.”

“It's okay. We can order pizza. But I want to taste that lasagna, one day.”

They smiled at each other.

“Sure, I'll cook it for you the next time you're over.”

  


Natasha went back on Saturday, Maria had created a fold on her desktop with pictures of all her closest relatives, to show them to Natasha and warn her about what was to come.

“Alright, I kinda have a big family. Let's start with my parents, these two oldies here” she showed her a picture with a nice couple on their mid-sixties or early seventies and pointed out the man first and then the woman. “Carl and Barbara, watch out for the 'ar' in my mother's name, she's very adamant about it being pronounced the Italian way, for some reason.”

“Barbara” she repeated in a perfect accent. “You do remember I'm a super spy, don't you?”

“We'll see about the super, jury's still in on that” Maria smirked.

“I'm going to call them Mr and Mrs Hill until they tell me I can call them otherwise, anyway” she shrugged. “Let's see your sisters.”

Maria nodded, going to the next picture.

“This is Elena, she's the oldest, she's forty-two and married to Phil, this guy” she pointed them out and then pointed to the two kids. “Their kids are ten, Kyle, and six, Jenny. I love them, I skype with them every Sunday evening, they're the main reason I changed my mind about kids. The only problem is Phil and I are opposites and every time I go visit we end up disagreeing on everything, the kids take my side and he gets whiny, so Sara blames me. I keep my visits short, usually, but as I said I skype with the kids a lot.”

“They're the cutest little humans, your nephew is like a miniature you, Hill.”

“Thanks, I guess” Maria offered a one sided smile. “This is my brother, Rob, he's thirty-nine and he's the biggest asshole to ever walk the Earth. We always fight about everything, he never lets me be. He thinks he's above us because I'm only military and he's a lawyer and the golden bachelor in his own eyes. You'll see and judge for yourself soon enough” she scrolled past him quickly.

“Charming. And she's the one who's getting married?”

“Yes” she said, stopping at the next picture. “This is Sara, she's thirty-four. This is her fiancee, Luke. They're a cute couple and they're both so nice, it's going to make you puke rainbows, I'm warning you.”

“Oh, I plan on be the sweetest girlfriend on the planet, so good luck to them.”

Maria laughed lightheartedly.

“Come on, I made you lasagna. You can tell me what you think about that and then we can see if you remember all the names.”

“You _made_ lasagna?”

“Yes” Maria answered getting up and taking the tray out of the oven.

“For me? Tonight?”

“Nat, I just said that and it's literally in front of you. Yes” she took two plates and proceeded to fill them.

“Maria Hill, I am going to make your parents fall in love with me, I'll be the perfect girlfriend, they will leave you alone for the rest of your life after they meet me, they'll hope we get married.”

“What if the lasagna sucks?”

Natasha paused at that.

“I'll shoot your brother in the foot.”

“But I hate my brother, what do I care?”

“You'll still love me, but your parents will hate me.”

“Sounds fair. Now taste this” she said, handing Natasha one of the plates.

They sat at the kitchen island, started eating.

As soon as Natasha had swallowed the first bite, Maria heard a sound that immediately made her pause.

“Did you just _moaned_?”

Natasha took a bigger bite and closed her eyes. 

“I'll be the greatest girlfriend ever” she muttered with her mouth full.

She finished her portion in two minutes and Maria immediately refilled her plate.

“You're like a starved child.”

“I always eat this much, I have a very fast metabolism.”

“Well, good for you, you're going to need it for the next week.”

“When do we leave?” she asked, mouth still full.

“Monday morning, I'll do my suitcase tomorrow and I'll pick you up Monday morning at six o'clock, sounds good?”

“Perfect, if a little early. How long is the drive to Chicago?”

“Twelve hours or so. We'll be there in the evening, but we'll make a couple stops, to get some lunch and rest.”

“Sounds like a plan. Want to question me on those names a couple times and then watch something on TV?”

“Deal.”


	2. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They drive, flirt, Natasha meets the family.

Monday morning at six sharp, Maria was in front of Natasha's apartment. She took out her phone to text her but she didn't even have the time to unlock the screen when she saw the redhead in her review mirror making her way to the car with two suitcases.

“Did you pack everything you own?”

“Just everything I thought I would need, those are my essentials” she said climbing into the passenger seat after leaving her luggage in the trunk.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes, Mia, you're the one who looks like she's about to throw up because of her nerve.”

“I'm sorry, weddings stress me.”

She started driving and Natasha buckled up.

“So you're not a fan of marriage.”

“I didn't say that” Maria replied cautiously. “I like the idea of marriage, it's the big ass wedding I'm not necessarily fond of.”

“I can relate to that.”

Maria smiled to herself, refraining from saying that she knew already.

“You changed your car” Natasha changed the subject.

“Yeah, this one's bigger and comfier. Five doors, five seats and a decent trunk.”

“It looks like a car for a big family.”

“Hopefully, someday” Maria whispered. “I'd like a big family.”

“I thought you didn't get along much with yours.”

“I don't. But they're a bunch of hippies, chaos ruled all over when I was little and even if I was the youngest one I always felt the need for order and quiet.”

“That explains the military. You sound very different from your family.”

“I am. But I liked the fact that I had siblings and grandparents growing up. My grandpa, he was like me, very strict and lawful, he was a marine. He taught me a lot.”

She glanced to her right to see Natasha watching her intently.

“He” she cleared her voice. “He passed away when I was fifteen. My grandma died when I was twenty. I never met my father's parents.”

“I'm sorry, Maria” the redhead whispered, her hand landing comforting on Maria's knee.

“It was a long time ago” she swallowed and blinked, keeping her eyes on the road. “But I like being with Kyle and Jenny and teaching them stuff like my grandpa did with me. I get how they might be feeling like they don't belong.”

“That's really sweet. I think you'll be a great mom, Mia.”

Maria smiled a little, but didn't say anything.

They were silent for a while, neither of them feeling like they had to make small talk. Until Maria thought about something.

“Hey, you have the dress for the wedding already?”

“Yeah, I packed a classy one and fancy shoes.”

“Okay, and for the lunch with my extended family?”

“Floral casual dress and sandals.”

“Bachelorette party?”

“I-” she paused. “What?”

“Also, should we make sure we don't clash or something? I feel like this is more your area of expertise” she made a face and shrugged.

“ _Bachelorette party?_ ” Natasha repeated.

Maria glanced at her raising an eyebrow. “My sister insisted you came.”

Natasha was silent for a second. “I guess I have a couple more dresses packed, you can help me pick one.”

“Perfect.”

They kept driving until nine, when Natasha's stomach made a loud noise.

“I'm sorry. I only had coffee and I told you, my metabolism is really fast.”

“Hey, we're in no rush, we can stop and eat something” Maria shrugged.

They stopped at a gas station and Natasha went for breakfast while Maria refilled the tank. When they started off again, Natasha turned on the radio and both of them started singing along the music that came up, softly at first, then louder, laughing and – not that Maria would ever admit to it – even giggling at some point.

She hadn't felt that happy since she was still an Agent. The realization that Natasha made her feel alive again, struck Maria like lightening.

She fell silent and spoke only to ask Natasha if she wanted to stop for lunch when she started to feel hungry.

They stopped at a restaurant and while Natasha ordered a burger with fries, Maria only asked the waiter for a salad.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“A salad? Are you feeling sick? Do you feel a fever or nausea, or?”

“I'm fine, Nat. Tonight, when we're having dinner and my mother won't let you get up until you've finished your fourth course, you'll regret the fries” she told her smugly. 

“Don't you worry about what I can eat, sweetheart. If your mom's lasagna is anything like yours, I can eat a tray on my own.”

“You _did_ eat almost half a tray two nights ago. I don't know how you stay so fit, I envy your fast metabolism very much.”

“I exercise every morning, but it's mostly genetic.”

“I hate you so much.”

Natasha smirked and winked. “Well, if your mom is going to make _that_ much food, maybe I can help you sweat it off, if you're so much worried.”

Maria paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.

“I meant you can exercise with me” she added in her most innocent voice “but I feel like your mind went something completely different.”

“Sure you did” Maria snorted. “I have a workout routine, I usually start at seven, I skipped it today, but we can totally see who has more stamina tomorrow, if you're up for it.”

Natasha's smirk only grew wider. “I know a couple ways to test your stamina, and I'm looking forward to it.”

“I'm assuming you meant pushups.”

“You're going to have to stop blushing every time I flirt with you if you want your family to believe we are together.”

Of course, Maria had to remind herself. Natasha was training her. This was merely practice. She had to keep in mind they were going to pretend they were in love. Might as well make it believable, if not obvious.

“Eat your fries, they'll get cold” was her only answer.

Natasha kept smirking, but quietly followed through.

  


“If you're going to keep slowing down we should just park here and walk the rest of the way with the suitcases” Natasha suggested once they reached twenty miles per hour.

It was half past seven and they told Maria's parents they would be there to have dinner at eight, so they didn't have time to go to the hotel first.

“I'm maybe a little nervous” Maria whispered. “So I'm maybe slowing us down.”

“I _maybe_ noticed that” Natasha whispered back. “Are you afraid they'll hate me because of my past?”

“No, Nat. I told you, you're my niece's and nephew's hero. And my parents and siblings probably won't even recognize you, since they don't keep up with current events. They have no idea I work with the Avengers, for instance. They're probably the only people in this country that are unaware of that, so they won't even know, trust me.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

Maria shrugged. She couldn't really explain it, she just made a face. “The... _usual_...stuff.”

“Usual? Like, they won't like my clothes or my hair?”

“They'll love you. It's me they have a problem with.”

“I'm sure that's not true, Mia” Natasha said softly, reaching to grab Maria's hand with her own. “It's going to be okay. And, whatever happens, you have me there to vent with, at least” she offered a smile.

Maria laughed softly. “I guess everyone would pay to be able to visit their parents' place with their best friend there to support them.”

“See? You're so lucky” Natasha playfully swatted her hand.

Maria tried to smile but it was weak and it didn't reach her eyes.

She parked in the driveway of a three story house with a huge front yard.

“ _This_ is your house?” Natasha was baffled.

“It is. My grandpa was loaded and he helped them get this place.”

“It's _huge_!”

“Oh, you haven't seen the half of it. Literally. The backyard is practically a football field.”

Natasha got out of the car still a little thrown back.

Maria rounded the car and clicked on her keys to lock it. “Come on, let's go say hi” she took Natasha's hand and tried as she might not to be visibly nervous.

They made their way to the front door as Natasha intertwined their fingers and leaned on Maria a little, placing her other hand on Maria's bicep.

They exchanged a look and Natasha nodded, so Maria rang the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal a man that Natasha recognized as Maria's dad from the pictures, dressed in knee-length shorts and an half-sleeved shirt, he was roughly as tall as Maria, but not as slim, his hair were dark but getting grayer and his eyes were blue, but not as pretty as Maria's, Natasha thought.

“Hey, you're here!” he joyfully lent in and hugged Maria briefly, then turned towards the redhead, who was still holding his daughter's hand. “You must be Natasha, is nice to meet you.”

She took his hand with an easy smile. “It's my pleasure, Maria told me _so much_ about you.”

He seemed pleased with the notion and urged them in.

“Where are your bags?” he asked a little puzzled.

“Well, still in the car, we didn't get a chance to swing by the hotel yet” Maria told him as he closed the door.

“An hotel? You thought we would let you stay in a hotel?” Natasha turned to see Maria's mother making her way towards them. “Don't be silly, Maria” she said, embracing her in a crushing hug and then turning to Natasha. “Hi, I'm Barbara.”

“I'm Natasha, it's really nice to meet you.”

She gave her the best smile and gently shook her hand.

“Mom, Elena and the kids will take up a lot of space, it's no trouble, the hotel three blocks down has always spare rooms.”

The woman shook her head resolutely. “Kyle and Jenny are staying in your old room in the attic with the twin bed you had and a spare we kept downstairs, Elena and Phil are staying in her old room with the queen sized bed. Rob and Sara are also staying in their respective rooms as well, Luke is at his parents' so that's it.”

“Well, see” Maria pointed out. “The kids are in my room, so we're just going to-”

“You're gonna stay in the basement, in the guest room” Carl, Maria's father, said. “You can try to argue with your mother while I take your suitcases and bring them down, we both know it won't work anyway.”

Maria sighed and throw her hands in the air, then glanced at an amused Natasha.

“It's alright, I'd love to get to know your parents better” she told her, smiling brightly. “But I insist on bringing my own things, sir” she addressed Carl.

“Well, how about Maria shows you around and then we have dinner and you worry about the suitcases later?” Barbara offered with a pleased smile.

She was wearing a casual dress and an apron, she had long black hair and brown eyes, Natasha saw a softness in her features that reminded her of how Maria looked when she was too tired to be her usual composed self.

“Oh, I've always wanted to see your room” Natasha said earnestly, tugging on Maria's hand. “Can I see the Star Wars posters you used to have?”

“Oh my God, I mentioned that _once_ , Nat.”

“Yeah, but I remember everything you say, you should know by now” she smiled.

In Maria's opinion, she was enjoying this just a little too much.

“You're different from what we thought” Carl said cautiously glancing to his wife and then back at Natasha. “We were expecting someone more” he searched for the right word. “Someone as composed as Maria. She told us you were an Agent, too.”

“I was, yes. But I was never military, so not as _composed_ ” she looked at Maria with a smirk in her eyes that let the word 'uptight' be communicated even if not spoken.

“Your hair is shorter, and you wear it loose now” Barbara said instead, looking at her daughter with curious eyes.

“Yeah, I just seat in an office now, so there's no reason to keep them always tied” she shrugged. “I usually wear a ponytail, tho.”

“I think you're breathtaking either way” Natasha said casually, looking at Maria and pretending not to notice the look Barbara and Carl exchanged.

“Don't mind her” Maria said, her arm finding its way around Natasha's shoulders. “She's always like this, she can't help herself.”

“Only with you” she answered sneaking an arm around her waist.

“Come on, I'll show you my room and you can meet the kids.”

Maria led her towards the stairs.

“While you're giving her a tour, tell everyone we're having dinner, would you?” Barbara called after them.

“Sure, mom.”

They made their way to the first floor.

“That's my parents' room” Maria said, pointing at a room at the left end of the hall. “It's the only one with a private bathroom, the other three have just one bathroom, which is that one” she pointed at the opposite end.

She stepped to the right and knocked on a door.

“This is Sara's room, it's just next to my parents'.”

She didn't even finish the sentence that her sister opened the door and flung into her arms.

“Maria, I'm so happy you're finally here!”

Natasha knew that if Maria could stand just one of her relatives, aside from the kids, it was the younger of her sisters. They were just two years apart and Sara always took her side when her brother bothered Maria, she read her stories when she was little and was the only one who always supported her in every decision she made.

“I'm so happy to see you again” Maria told her quietly. “How are you?”

“Excited, nervous, a little sleep deprived, but good. What about you?”

Maria paused and looked at Natasha. Sara followed her gaze, noticing her for the first time.

“Hi, I'm Natasha” she smiled and offered a hand.

Sara completely ignored it and hugged her instead.

“It's nice to meet you. Maria has talked to me about you for _years_. She always said you were her hopeless straight crush, I'm so happy she was wrong!” Sara told her excitedly, almost jumping up and down while holding both of her hands.

Maria completely froze, while Natasha's eyes literally sparked up.

“Oh, _really_?” she smirked. “Tell me more about that, I want to hear _everything_ Maria has ever said about me.”

“Well, she never even mentioned your surname, she said your identity was secret because you were a spy and everything, but she was always _pining_ over you.”

“Okay, Sara” Maria cut in. “I think that's enough secrets spilled, thank you” she told her, with a slight glare.

“What's the issue, you're together now” her sister shrugged.

“It's still embarrassing, that's all” she tried to be convincing. “Dinner's ready I'll call Elena, Phil and the kids.”

“Alright, see you in a bit” she smiled, retreating into the room.

As soon as the door closed Maria turned to Natasha, a faint blush on her own cheeks and a smirk on the redhead's lips.

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be” she took Maria's hand, leading her to the next door. “Come on, show me the rest of the house.”

“This one's empty, my brother will get here in a couple of days. Couldn't leave work. This one's my sister's” she reached the last door before the bathroom and knocked.

A man answered immediately.

“Hey, Phil” Maria shook his hand. “We're here and we're having dinner if you guys are ready.”

A woman appeared on the door.

“Maria! It's good to see you” they hugged briefly and a little stiffly.

Maria introduced Natasha to both of them and then offered to go call the kids.

They made their way upstairs to the attic.

As soon as Maria went through the door, two little humans threw themselves at her. She hugged both of them closely.

“Auntie Maria, we missed you so much!” the six years old girl told her while hugging her legs, bouncing up and down in excitement.

“We couldn't wait till you got here, we're so happy” the ten year old boy said, hugging her waist and smiling brightly.

“I'm so happy to see you, too, kids. I missed you so much, skype it's not the same. You're both so much taller, and you're hair are longer, Jenny.”

“It is, mom won't let me keep the short cut anymore” she said with a very much less happy voice, but she shrugged it off.

“Alright, there's someone I would like you to meet.”

“Oh, is it your girlfriend? Mom told us you'd bring someone home!” Kyle asked.

They stepped back and Maria looked at Natasha, smiling at her. She stepped forward with a little smile of her own.

“Hi, I'm Natasha. It's nice to meet Maria's two favorite people in the world” she told them, trying not to sound nervous but reassuring.

It took them all of three seconds to recognize her. They looked at her, then at each other with wide eyes, then back at her. Then, looking back at each other, they started screaming and then threw themselves at her.

After a moment where she thought they were scared, she understood they were hugging her with all their might.

“You're the Black Widow” Kyle said reverently.

“You're my hero!” Jenny told her at the top of her lungs.

Maria stepped towards them and put her hands on each of their shoulders, making them take a step back. Natasha was okay with kids but she didn't know them and Maria didn't want them to scare her off, so she tried to do what she did best: damage control.

“Hey, guys, look. When we're here, Nat is only my girlfriend, okay? She's a hero when she fights bad guys, but we don't want the adults to start nagging her, so let's just keep this between us, if that's alright with you two?”

They both nodded enthusiastically.

“We won't say a word” Jenny promised.

“Your secret is safe with us” Kyle said with a dead serious voice.

Natasha smiled at them. “Thank you, it means a lot to me.”

She didn't have a problem with her identity, she just didn't want the attention focused on them on the week of Sara's wedding. She was there as Maria's safe net and that's all she wanted to focus on, without having to worry about what everyone thought of her.

“Let's go eat dinner and then we can unwrap some presents” Maria suggested.

“You brought us presents?” Jenny said excitedly.

“I surely did, sweetheart. But they'll have to wait until you've eaten all your vegetables” she warned them.

They both laughed and started making their way downstairs.

Maria took Natasha's hand, smiling at her. “Thank you. For coming with me. This is a lot easier than usual.”

“It's a pleasure, really.”

They went back down with the kids and took their places at the table, Jenny insisted to seat next to Natasha while Kyle sat as usual on Maria's side. In front of them Maria's sisters were in the middle seats while Phil was on Elena's left, her brother place on Sara's right was empty. Their parents were sitting at the heads of the table.

“So Natasha, what do you do for a living?” Phil asked her while they were eating Barbara's homemade lasagna.

“I was with S.H.I.E.L.D., that's how we met” she turned towards Maria briefly. “Now I'm kind of a freelance.”

“Isn't freelance an euphemism for unemployed?” Elena asked quite directly.

“Don't be rude, dear” Barbara warned her immediately.

But Natasha lightly laughed. “It's not a problem. Kind of, actually. Not that it's a problem, money wise, since technically I'm still on Stark's payroll from when I went undercover as his secretary, but it's really boring most days.”

“Wait, you know Tony Stark?” Phil asked, a little too surprised.

Natasha looked taken aback and glanced towards Maria. She shrugged.

“I told you they don't listen to me, they have no idea what I do” was her only thing she said as an explanation.

“What do you mean?” Phil asked again.

“Well” Natasha started, unsure of what to say. “Maria is kind of Pepper's left arm. Also, a really close friend of both her and Stark. So yeah, we know them.”

“ _You_ work for Iron man?” Carl asked Maria.

“I think I've told you at least three times before. But that's alright” she shrugged indifferently.

“This is really good, Mrs Hill” Natasha complimented her on the dish, trying to change the subject, too close to their work for comfort. “I never thought I'd have to say something like this, but it's even better than Maria's.”

Somehow, that seemed to make everyone speechless even further.

“Maria cooked lasagna? The family recipe, our lasagna?”

“The fact that you sound so surprised is why I never told you I learned how to do it, Elena. Just because I couldn't cook when I was eighteen doesn't mean I can't now” Maria told her, keeping her calm and relaxed attitude.

“And neither of you ended up in a hospital?” Sara asked dubiously. 

Maria scoffed.

“Are you kidding me” Natasha laughed. “I almost eat half the tray, it was the most amazing thing I've _ever_ tasted. Well, until tonight, because, I'm sorry Maria, this might be even better.”

Maria smiled. “My mom's lasagna can't be replicated, so no offense taken. But wait until you taste the tortelli, that might be even better.”

“Well, you're both so skinny, you should take another portion of lasagna before I bring the next dish out” Barbara told them.

“I'll pass, but Nat never says no to food.”

“I have a fast metabolism, Mia.”

“Sure, plus all that training you do.”

It was such a frequent occurrence, that neither of them noticed Natasha used it. Nor did they notice the silence that fell around them for the third time.

Sara cleared her voice and, when Maria looked at her, she smirked. “Mia?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

Maria blushed slightly and turned back down to her plate.

“I thought you hated that nickname” Elena pointed out.

“No, I don't, I just” she sighed.

“But I always call you that” Natasha whispered a little worriedly.

“Do you speak Italian, Natasha?” Barbara asked in an apparent topic change.

Maria's hand on her thigh made her pause. She felt Maria's index tap once and stay and then tap a second time quickly. It was an N in morse code.

“No, I don't” she said cautiously.

Natasha _did_ in fact know Italian a little bit. But why was that – _oh_.

_Mia_ meant _mine_ in Italian. It was the female term used to state that something or someone belonged to the one who said it. So of course, Maria didn't like to be called _mine_ by others, but she let Natasha do it for years. And she was so not used to talk in Italian that she didn't even notice she was doing it.

“Does it mean something disrespectful?” she asked towards Maria. “I'm sorry.”

“It doesn't. It's just short for Maria, it's fine when you use it.”

A look passed between them.

_Later_.

Maria nodded slightly and reassuringly. Then she smiled, her hand still on Natasha's thigh squeezed a little and then let go. She immediately missed the contact but didn't tell Maria that.

“So, what did you do in S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Phil asked, breaking the silence.

“Field agent. Maria was my team's handler for a while, but then she was made Assistant Director and I moved higher in rank, so there was no conflict of interest.”

“And what kind of mission did you have?”

Natasha explained mostly what she did, leaving out the details and the hardest missions that only she could face, telling them about some standard operation and making conversation all through the evening. Phil had a lot of questions, apparently.

After dinner everyone was so tired and full, the kid's present were forgotten in the car and they only brought in the suitcases after everyone already said their goodnight and headed upstairs.

They found themselves finally alone in the basement, exhausted and ready to go to sleep.

“Why do you let me call you Mia?” Natasha asked quietly while they laid in bed, side by side, already changed into their sleep attire.

They both wore just a shirt to sleep, and their underwear, since it was July and too hot outside to sleep with anything else under a very thin sheet.

“Because you don't do it to be possessive or mean. And I like the way you use it” she said quietly, calmly, even though her heart was pounding in her chest at the question.

Natasha turned on her side, facing her in the dark.

“I had an amazing day. I needed this after all the madness, lately. Thank you for bringing me with you, Mia.”

Maria turned as well, smiling slightly.

“Thank you for coming. It means the world to me, Nat.”

They were silent for a couple of minutes. Maria felt sleep slowly coming to her.

“Try to sleep, long day tomorrow” she said, turning back to lay on her back.

“Goodnight, sweetheart” she heard the redhead whisper back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapters and also I hope you liked Sara and Elena, they kind of have a pretty big role on this story. Let me know what you think and come talk to me about BlackHill at http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/
> 
> Next chapter will probably come in a few days!


	3. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day goes by, Natasha doesn't like the Maid of Honor. She loves Maria's abs, tho.

Tuesday

  


Maria woke up on Tuesday morning to the sound of the half past six alarm on her phone.

She turned over and shut off the alarm, but when she opened her eyes she noticed the other half of the bed was empty and the sheets were cold. She sat up and saw Natasha sitting on the armchair in the corner of the room, staring at one of the pictures on the opposite wall of the room.

She quietly got up and walked towards her. She noticed that her eyes were distant and unfocused, her posture was tense, she was curled with her knees to her chest.

Maria knelt in front of her, gently placing her hand on her arm, not to startle her.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Natasha's eyes moved to her face but a couple of seconds more had to pass for her gaze to really focus on her.

A timid hand raised and traced the line of her jaw softly, then fell back.

“I'm okay, now.”

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“Yeah” she said quietly. “It happens often when I sleep in a new place, I should have warned you, I'm sorry.”

“It's really okay, Nat, as long as you're okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Again, a negative shake of her head.

“Do you need me to leave you alone?”

“No” Natasha's hand immediately grasped Maria's on her own arm. “I find your presence comforting.”

“Alright. Do you want me to stay here? Or would you like to go back to bed?”

“Didn't your alarm go off a couple of minutes ago?” her voice was still low and a bit shaky, but a faint smile appeared on her face.

“It did, I usually go for a run. Would you like us to go together?”

“Yeah, that would be fun.”

“Alright, I'll change and then we can go.”

Natasha nodded. She stood up, grabbed her work out clothes from her suitcase and went to the bathroom. When she emerged Natasha had her own clothes in her hands and was looking for her shoes. She found them and stood up as Maria approached her.

“I'll sort out something light for you to eat so you and your fast metabolism don't pass out but you also don't throw up on me, I'll wait for you upstairs.”

Natasha actually laughed a little. “Alright, thank you, Mia.”

“My pleasure” she said with a little smile.

She went up and cut a banana and some blueberry for Natasha to eat, making them a cup of coffee each. After the redhead was ready to go they headed out, warmed up and started running and talking and laughing about the silliest things – like Barton's idea of an Halloween prank.

After half an hour they decided to go back, so they did a one hour run.

“I told you I would test your stamina” Natasha made fun of her, since she was panting and sweating, while Natasha was hardly tired at all.

“We're not done, I usually do static exercises as well. Wanna join?”

She nodded instantly.

“God, why is it so hot?”

“It's not that much hotter than New York, you're just not used to work out under the sun and not in your air-conditioned gym.”

“Probably true. But I'm _sublimating_.”

They rounded the house and went to the backyard to keep working out.

“You can always take off your shirt” Natasha teased her.

Maria didn't pick up on her challenging tone, probably, because she thought about it for all of two seconds.

“You're right, it's all sweaty anyway.”

Maria took it off without much fuss and headed towards the swings.

“This is perfect for pullups, I always used this as a kid, training for the army and all” she didn't pay much attention to Natasha's reaction to seeing her in only a sport bra, turning and jumping a little to grasp the metal bar from which the swings were hung.

She started the first series and Natasha found herself staring at her abs.

“I usually do three series of ten, if that's alright.”

Natasha Romanoff was not, by any means, sentimental. But if she had ever came close, in her entire life, to believing in love at first sight, it was in that moment.

Maria's abs were soft but nicely shaped, they were visible if tensed, they were perfect and sexy and Natasha wanted to touch them to know what they felt like.

“You didn't hear a word I said, did you?”

“I did. Pullups, three series of ten for each of us, got it.”

Natasha composed herself and tore her eyes away to look back at Maria's eyes. They were amused and a little curious.

“I was _not_ staring at your abs, _you_ were staring at your abs. No, I meant, _your abs_ were staring at me. Damn it, _shut up_.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“If your eyebrow was any higher it would be out of your forehead.”

“You were staring. Just a little” she remarked, starting on her second series.

“I was, I'm really sorry. But you took off your shirt, Maria, I'm only human and you're very attractive. I promise not to objectify you without your permission ever again.”

Maria snorted and jumped down again after ten pullups.

“You can objectify me and my abs as much as you like, Natasha. I don't mind that you find me attractive. It's not as awkward as the moment my sister told you I used to have a crush on you for years, so.”

She went back up and started her last sequence.

Natasha smirked a little. “Wait, used to?”

Maria finished her series and jumped down, smiling. “Your turn.”

“Do I need to flash you _my_ abs?” Natasha smirked and jumped up, starting her pullups.

“No need. I don't think I would ever _not_ think you're attractive, Natasha.”

She spoke while looking at the ground, but dared a glance to gauge her reaction, seeing her smirk wider as she jumped down.

After pullups they settled on the grass side by side and did pushups, three series of twenty.

They flipped over and started situps, an unfair amount Natasha pointed out, since Maria was more trained on her upper and middle muscles while Natasha was stronger in the lower half of her body – also Natasha kept getting distracted by her newly discovered weakness for Maria's abs.

Maria shrugged her comment off, so Natasha poked her on the side to try and slow down her relentless and easy exercises.

Maria snorted and poked her back, and they started playfully swatting each other hands and laughing while they kept trying to be quicker than the other. After the last pushups they both erupted in a loud laugh and fell back on the grass.

Suddenly, a voice from the back porch startled them.

“What is that strange sound coming out of Maria's mouth?” Elena asked, almost fearfully. “Is she _laughing_?”

“Oh God, I think she might be not only enjoying herself, but she might be also _happy_! What has the world come to” Sara continued in a falsely outraged voice.

Maria made a loud fake laugh in their direction.

“So she's not only all cold and serious on her job?” Natasha smirked, indulging them.

“Don't get us wrong, she laughs plenty, just not while training or working out or doing anything military related.”

“Well, Sara, military isn't supposed to make you laugh” Maria pointed out. “Do you want to keep going?” she asked Natasha with a lower voice.

She opened her mouth to answer but before she could, her stomach grumbled loudly. She grimaced a little and Maria laughed.

“I'm going to make you pancakes if you want?”

Her eyes sparkled up. “Oh, you haven't made those in a month. Do you mind if I go take a shower before? I feel sticky.”

“No problem, I'll have them ready for when you get out. Do you guys want pancakes?” she asked her sister as they approached the porch.

“Sure, we'll help you” Elena offered.

She picked up her shirt and put it back on before heading inside.

“I'll be right back” Natasha smiled before going to the basement.

Maria watched her go and then she went to thoroughly wash her hands, before getting started on the pancakes.

“Hey, so, I have to go to the dress store in the afternoon for some final adjustment and Elena's coming, do you and Natasha want to come, too? I'd be a great bonding time. If it's alright for her to be in public.”

Maria froze. “What?”

She saw Elena elbow Sara in the ribs.

“Sorry” she grimaced. “I didn't mean to be rude. I just meant, if she feels comfortable. You know, someone might recognize her and all.”

Maria put down the milk and the flower on the counter top.

“You _knew_?”

Her sisters glanced at each other.

“Of course we knew, Maria. I mean, you had this crush on a woman named Natasha and for some reason you couldn't tell me her surname” Sara countered “then you told us you worked with the Avengers, so when it came up that the Black Widow's name was Natasha Romanoff I made the math. We knew before you got here.”

“We thought” Elena tried to explain “well, you know, that she just wanted to be seen as Natasha and have a break from all the hero and fans and signing autographs stuff. I kept kicking Phil under the table last night when he kept asking about her work at dinner, just because he wants to ask her how those electrifying things she has around her wrists work” she rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed at her husband's behavior.

Maria was speechless.

“Mom and dad don't know” Sara continued. “They never watch the news, so go figure. They barely know the Avengers names, let alone their faces.”

“And you're okay with this?” she asked carefully.

“ _Okay_? We're ecstatic!” Sara told her, barely containing herself. “She's a super kick-ass hero and a professional badass and you look so happy with her!” she said in her usually chipper tone.

Maria smiled and hugged both her sisters at once.

“We love you, Maria” Elena told her. “Even tho you're the toughest one, you'll always be our little sister to us, we just want to see you smile and hear you laugh more often. As long as Natasha does that, she's perfect.”

“I love you, too, guys” she said after letting them go. “I'm going to make you pancakes, now.”

She made them and then went down to the basement after her sisters ate to see why Natasha was taking so long. When she got to their room she was just finishing dressing.

“Hey, your pancakes are getting cold. Also, my sister know you're the Widow.”

“What?” Natasha asked, worried.

“They knew even before we got here. I'm sorry.”

“No, I meant my pancakes. I didn't realize it took me so long” she faked a slight pout.

Maria snorted and shrugged. “They're totally cool, by the way. They're forcing themselves not to ask for autographs and Phil is dying to ask you about your Widow Bites.”

Natasha smiled. “I'm glad. I was a little nervous about that” she admitted quietly.

“I wasn't, I knew they'd love you either way. Do you mind if I go for a shower, too?”

“No, of course. Can I go up and have pancakes, though?”

“You sure can, I'll be quick. And Sara asked if we want to go with her to her final dress adjustments in the afternoon.”

“Yeah, it'll be fun” she shrugged. “I'll put sunglasses on and maybe a baseball cap.”

“I'll be right up, go and have some breakfast” she said, heading to the bathroom.

  


They left the house at half past four in the afternoon, after spending the rest of the morning chatting with Maria's parents and helping them with lunch and some chores. Maria offered to drive, her sisters climbed in the back seats, so Natasha got in in the passenger seat.

“I forgot to mention, my maid of honor is going to be there” Sara said, trying to be as casual as possible. Both Maria and Natasha noticed she wasn't.

“It's fine, you're the ones who are going to be a little cramped in the back” Natasha smiled at them, turning her head.

“Oh, Karen is going to meet us there, so no problem about that” Sara said, sounding even more nervous. “Is it okay?” her eyes briefly shifted to the back of Maria's head.

Natasha turned towards her, but Maria merely shrugged.

“It's fine, Sara” Maria told her.

“Are you sure?” she asked slowly.

“It was years ago. It's alright.”

Natasha looked at her with curiosity, but didn't say anything.

The rest of the drive went by in silence, and while Maria looked her usual self, Sara was more and more fidgety.

Maria parked the car and shut it down, then she looked at Natasha. It was _that_ look. It said _“Later I'll explain but I really need you to act like this is old news right now”._

They got off and walked to the dress store in silence, Sara and Elena ahead. Natasha took Maria's hand in her own and at the same time placed the other one higher on her arm, leaning on her a little and smiling reassuringly.

“I'm here, Mia” she whispered and leaned up, kissing her cheek.

Maria couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. “Thank you.”

They kept smiling at each other while walking and it was like the rest of the world had disappeared in the background.

That was the moment Maria knew, it wasn't just a crush anymore. It hadn't been in a long time, but she felt in that moment that not putting a name to the feeling was a hopeless lie. She also remembered the moment she knew she felt something for Natasha as more than a friend, but right then she was sure she was absolutely in love with her.

Natasha saw the smile slowly leaving the place for a more serious look.

“Maria-” she wanted to say it, she didn't know what, but anything Maria wanted to hear from her, she felt like she wanted to say it. She wanted to give her everything she ever wished for.

“Hey, there you are” an unknown voice made them look up.

A woman, Karen she supposed, was greeting Maria's sisters. Then she looked at Maria with bright eyes and a timid smile. Natasha squeezed Maria's hand tighter. Karen's eyes quickly fell on their joined hands before she could say anything. 

“Hi” she said shyly. “How are you?”

Maria smiled back at her. “I'm good, how about you?”

She nodded a couple times. “Fine, all good. Wow, it's been a really long time” she forced a laugh and nervously put a strand of her behind her hear.

“Yeah, the last time we saw each other-” Maria stopped herself abruptly. “Yeah. A long time.”

“Maria, I-” her eyes were suddenly softer and her smile was gone.

“Hey, it's fine. You don't need to apologize again. It was a long time ago, it's okay, honestly.”

Natasha thought Maria looked actually calm and nice to this girl, but both her sisters looked confuse as much as she felt by the conversation.

“Why should _she_ apologize?” Sara asked, very puzzled. “I thought _you_ were the one who broke up with her.”

Maria turned to her sister, her eyebrows shot up and she looked incredulous. She looked back at Karen, who stared at the ground.

“Oh” was the only thing Maria said for several seconds. “You didn't- of course you didn't tell them, that explains why Sara didn't return my letters for three months after I left.”

“What?” Karen asked, looking at Sara. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you were my best friend and she left you.”

“That's not how-” Maria took a deep breath. “Alright, you know what, it doesn't matter. Let's just move on, that's all in the past. I'm fine, Karen is fine, there's no reason to bring this back now, so let's go see that dress.”

Sara looked a couple times from her sister to her best friend, then nodded just once.

They turned to the shop and headed inside. Karen took a long look at Natasha then, and she made sure to lean on Maria more.

“Are you and Elena going to be bridesmaids as well?” she asked Maria casually.

“No, it's more of an Italian wedding, with just one witness each for the bride and groom, so it's just going to be Karen.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I'm Karen, by the way” the girl offered a hand to Natasha with a fake smile.

She let go of Maria's hand to shake it.

“I'm Natasha. I'm Maria's girlfriend, it's nice to meet you.”

As soon as she let go of her hand she took Maria's back.

“Oh my God, look at this one” she said, trying to have a moment alone with the brunette, she pointed at one of the dresses. It was simple and sleeveless, tight on the chest and the hips but loose lower. “You would look so perfect in something like this” she tugged on her hand, leading her closer to the dress.

Unfortunately, Karen went along with them.

“Maria hates weddings. She's not going to get married, she's very adamant about that” she told Natasha, with the tone of someone who thought she knew better.

Natasha just smirked.

“I'm actually not comfortable with a big wedding, but I have nothing against marriage.”

“And it's really hard to adopt if we're not married, right?” she asked with an innocent tone of voice that Maria didn't buy for a millisecond.

“ _Kids_? You were so sure you were never going to do that.”

“I was also eighteen, Karen. People change” she shrugged. “Come on, I bet my sister's already changing.”

She tugged on Natasha's hand, leading her to the corner where Elena was standing.

“Oh, you can sit down if you want to” she told them, pointing a couch next to where she was.

Maria nodded and went to seat, Natasha followed.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, leaning in, as Karen started a conversation with Elena a couple feet away.

Natasha shrugged. “Making her a little jealous?”

“I don't want that, Nat. I've been over her for years” she explained with a smile.

She realized in that moment that Maria's calm and unworried behavior was no act. She really was cool with her ex being there.

“Well, she's not over you” she leaned in, whispering in Maria's ear. “She's looking at me like she wants to make me eat my own baseball cap.”

Maria snorted. She leaned back, lowering said cap further on her face, making it collide with the sunglasses she was wearing.

“Hey!” Natasha swatted her arm playfully and fixed it and took her sunglasses off, folding them and tucking them on the neck of her shirt as Maria laughed. She tried to look mad, but a smiled crept through. “You know I'm right” she leaned back in, one hand on Maria's neck kept her closer as she spoke.

Maria turned her head to look in her eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, then Natasha's eyes fell on her lips for the briefest second. The hand on her neck moved to her cheek and Maria's heart stopped as she realized she was slightly leaning in.

But then her sister noisily exited the changing room and they both turned to look at her. Natasha's hand lowered and the moment passed.

“You look gorgeous” Elena told her immediately. “Oh my, I'm going to cry and it's not even finished yet!”

“It's perfect, Sara” Natasha told her.

“Really, the perfect choice, sis” Maria added.

“You think so? It's so different from what you just pointed out you would wear at your own wedding” Karen remarked bitterly.

“Oh my God, your getting married?!” Sara yelled.

“Maria, oh my God, we thought this would never happen” Elena looked incredulously happy, her older sisters looked at each other and started almost jumping up and down, little high pitched giggles escaped their lips. 

“And to Natasha, oh God this is perfect!” Sara covered her mouth with her hands.

Maria furiously shook her head, raising her hands.

“No, no, this is a misunderstanding. We're not getting married. No, I'm sorry. Me and Natasha are _not_ engaged.”

They abruptly stopped and a chorus of sad aw's followed.

“...yet” Natasha added with a smirk.

Elena broke into a bright smile again and Sara giggled once more.

“I need to seat, this was an emotional roller coaster” her older sister told her, sitting down next to them on the couch.

Natasha squeezed closer to Maria and her arm circled the brunette's shoulders. She had the nerve to wink at her.

“I'm going to kill you” Maria said in barely a whisper through her teeth.

  


Maria was exhausted, the last changes to her sister dress took a good hour, and then they had to pick up the shoes, then drove back home. They had dinner like the night before and then finally went down to the basement for the night.

“They like you too much, it's going to break their hearts when we break up.”

Natasha chuckled, sitting on the mattress where Maria was laying down still dressed.

“Then let's not break up.”

Maria laughed. “Yeah, sure. And you're going to come to every family meeting for the rest of our lives?” she looked at her, only to see that she was serious.

“Why not? I like them, I like your mom's lasagna and it's not like I have a family I have to go to on Christmas.”

“What about the Barton's?”

She rolled her eyes. “They're going to cope, I'm sure.”

Maria leaned up on her elbows.

“What happens when you fall in love with someone else?”

“I won't.”

“Of course you will, everyone falls in love at some point.”

“Will you?

They stared at each other for a long while.

Maria couldn't tell her that – even if she only recently admitted it to herself – she had been in love with her for so long she honestly doubted she could love someone else. And Natasha didn't want to tell her that she never felt about anyone the way she felt towards Maria. She didn't want to tell her that she thought love was for children, but Maria made her want to be childish and cuddly and everything else she thought she wasn't built for.

So they just stayed silent, until Natasha took her hand and looked down, intertwining their fingers and then looked back up.

“Of course I won't, Natasha” she whispered.

The redhead leaned down and placed the gentlest of kiss on her cheek, just next to her mouth, lingering just a second before leaning back.

“Don't think about breaking up, then. At least not for now. You wanted them to stop trying to set you up and snoop into your love life and they did, this worked exactly as you wanted. We'll figure it out, okay? Let's just go to sleep, I'm exhausted.”

Maria nodded, speechless and a little transfixed.

Natasha went to change first. When she came back from the bathroom Maria was already dozing out, still dressed. She sleepily got up and went to change as well.

Natasha slept in an oversized shirt, while she wore a tank top.

She slipped on the bed, under the thin sheet, laid down and whispered a goodnight, before immediately starting to fall asleep again.

  


She bolted up in the middle of the night, panting hard, looking around. She was safe, it was just another nightmare, she was okay, Maria was alright, everything was fine.

She swallowed repeatedly and tried to slow down her breath, but it wasn't working.

She felt a hand grasp her own and looked to her side to see Maria sitting up as well.

“I'm here, you're safe, Nat.”

Her voice was drenched in sleep, but focused and comforting. Natasha squeezed her hand back and tried to take deeper breaths.

“I'm sorry I woke you, it's the middle of the night.”

“Don't worry, sweetheart. Can I help somehow? Do you want to get up? Or I can bring you water or tea, anything.”

Natasha looked at her in the dark and she actually felt like she was safe.

“Can we lay back down?”

“Of course.”

She laid on her back, looking at Maria, who was laying on her side facing her, still holding her hand.

She tugged it and turned on her side as well, surrounding herself with Maria's arm. And scooting backwards, closer to her.

“Is this okay?”

“Of course it is” Maria told her softly, hugging her gently.

Natasha got briefly up, taking Maria's other arm so that when she leaned back down she was even closer and fully spooning her.

“Thank you” she said softly.

Maria, instead of answering, kissed the back of her head softly.

“I'm here, alright? Whatever you need or want, I'm here.”

“Can you talk to me just for a minute or two?”

“Of course, what do you want me to talk about?”

“Anything.”

Maria was silent just for a moment.

“My sister asked if we can babysit tomorrow, she and Phil are going downtown to meet with some of her old friends since they're in town, and Sara, Luke and my parents are going to the restaurant to pick out the final menu for the wedding. So that leaves us and the kids. It's going to be fun, we can give them their presents and I offered to help them fix the little bikes in the garage so they can bring them home with them when they leave.”

Natasha's breathing was evening out and she was relaxing.

“I couldn't have done this without you, usually it's so much worse and we start fighting as soon as Rob gets home. He's just so annoying. But today was fun, and I bet tomorrow is going to be even better.”

Natasha had fallen back asleep, judging by the sound of her breathing. She relaxed and closed her eyes again.

“My brother arrives tomorrow. I don't want to see him, especially after today. He hates me so much. But I guess it's fine, the feeling is kind of mutual.”

She was barely whispering, more and more close to falling back asleep herself.

“I wanted, for a long time, for things to have been different. I planned my life to be average and boring. But everything changed so suddenly and it set me on the path that brought me to S.H.I.E.L.D., to the job I was meant for, and to you. So, maybe, I shouldn't hate him. Maybe I should thank him. Life taught me early and thoroughly what it was like not to be loved back, but it only recently taught me that if your love is big enough – then it doesn't matter if you're not loved back, it's worth it anyway. So thank you for that.”

After a couple of minutes, she was sound asleep.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order to keep this the right lenght (and not get too boring) not everything can be described, like the lunch with Maria's parents were they make small talk, some parts will not be in the story. The plot is about Maria and Natasha's relationship and how that develops, so I'll be focusing on that to not make this heavy and boring and just too long.
> 
> If you have any criticism, please send them, I appreciate all messages (warning: I do tend to keep rambling trying to explain my process to who wants to listen). To all you lovely readers, I love you!! Your positive response to this meant the world to me (even if I'm getting more and more insecure about this story).
> 
> Let me know what you thought! :)


	4. Wednesday (part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk about kids, they hang out with kids, Natasha starts processing some feelings.

When her alarm went off on Wednesday, Maria tried to turn towards the sound, just to realize her left arm was trapped underneath something very soft and warm.

She looked down at Natasha and a moment of confusion passed through her features as the redhead stirred. She remembered the nightmare and turned around, reaching for her phone in her nightstand with her right and and turning it off.

Natasha shifted, turning so that her head was leaning on Maria's shoulder and placed an arm around her waist.

Maria was suddenly very awake, feeling Natasha's leg brush against her own, both of them not wearing pants.

“Do we have to get up?” Natasha asked, her eyes still closed.

Maria caressed her back with her left hand, while moving her hair out of her face with her right, tracing a line from her cheek to her chin and then stopping, pulling her hand away suddenly, as if only then she realized the intimacy of that contact.

Natasha opened her eyes at the loss of contact and looked at her, but Maria was pretending to be rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“It depends. Do you want to go for a run? If you don't want to come, I'll wake you when I get back, it's still early.”

“No, I'd like to come with you again if that's alright, I had fun yesterday.”

“Me too” Maria said with a one sided smile. “Let's go then.”

They sat up, both immediately missing the warm sensation of being so close to each other.

  


After they finished exercising – which mostly consisted in laughing and erasing the awkwardness that waking up cuddling brought along – Natasha went showering while Maria made breakfast with her mother for the whole family.

“Are you two going to be okay with the kids?” she asked casually.

“Sure, why wouldn't we?”

Barbara shrugged. “You're great with them and Natasha seems to get along with them as well, so I was just making sure.”

“She's good, you're right, her best friend has three kids, so she had a lot of practice.”

Barbara took a deep breath, putting down she spatula she had in her hand, turning slightly away, and as soon as Maria noticed she was going to burn the eggs she took the abandoned utensil and started multitasking, checking on both the eggs and the bacon.

“What's wrong, mom?” she asked, worried, daring a side glance at her.

Barbara turned back, sighing heavily.

“She's so good for you, Maria” she told her quietly, shaking her head. “You laugh more, you look as happy as I've ever seen you since you were eight years old. She's perfect. So what happens when she tells you she wants kids?” she asked in a whisper.

Maria's back stiffened up and she squared her shoulders. Barbara noticed and sighed yet again, immediately regretting asking. Calmly, Maria put the bacon in a plate, the crumbled eggs in another, turning off the stoves.

“Why are you assuming she wants kids? Or that we didn't talk about something this big, or that if we talked about it we're ignoring our differences?” she looked at her with hurt in her eyes. “Or that I still _don't_ want kids for that matter?”

“Oh, Maria. You never did, you were so sure you didn't, even when you were with Karen. You loved her but you just couldn't marry her or have kids, so you left.”

Maria laughed bitterly. “ _Really_?” she asked a little angrily. “That's _not_ what happened. The reason it ended between us had nothing to do with that, and she new why I felt that way. Also, I was fucking eighteen, mom. You're the only person I know who wanted kids at that age, to be honest, so it wasn't that big of a deal for Karen.”

Kyle and Jenny chose that moment to arrive, while laughing. The kitchen was part of an open space that included the dining room, while in the living room there were only two couches and two armchairs with the TV, so they could everything being said by them.

She turned towards the table while she whispered.

“Did you ever consider, maybe, she was the reason we broke up? Maybe you should give your own daughter the benefit of the doubt?” she didn't look at Barbara, she picked up both plates and brought them to the kids. “Help yourselves, I'm bringing you some bread and juice to go with these, alright?” she told them with a smile.

Natasha entered the room coming from the basement, hair still wet.

“There's breakfast if you're hungry” she told her smiling weakly.

“Sweet. Can I help with something?” she asked, leaning on the kitchen island with her elbows.

“Can you bring these glasses to the table?” she asked, handing them to her.

“You got it, love.”

“You could also tell my mother how many kids you want to have, since she thinks you're going to dump me because I wasn't fond of pregnancy in my teens years.”

Without another word, she took the juice and another plate with some toasts and went back to have breakfast with the kids.

Barbara sighed.

Natasha looked at Maria, then at Barbara, then back at Maria.

“I can't tell if you're being serious” she said loudly.

Maria helped herself to some eggs angrily and said nothing.

Natasha cleared her voice and nodded, turning towards Barbara again.

The older woman moved towards the living room, putting a hand on her arm while passing her by to encourage her towards the table as well.

They sat down and started to fill their plates as Carl and Sara came down and joined them.

“Did Phil and Elena leave already?” Carl asked.

“No, their still changing for their brunch” Kyle told them.

“What is happening, why is Maria trying to murder the bacon?” Sara asked, feeling the uneasiness at the table. “That pig has been dead for a while, sis.”

Nobody said anything, Maria kept slowly eating, cutting through her food a little too forcefully, but otherwise being really calm.

Natasha cleared her voice. “I'm thinking two, maybe three.”

Carl, Sara and Barbara looked at her, confused. Maria stopped chewing and slowly turned towards her as well.

“I wasn't serious.”

Natasha ignored her. “Maria bought the new car because it's bigger, five seats, so there's room for three, but my best friend and his wife have three and I have to say, it may be too much. The last one was a challenge for them, and they started younger.”

“Natasha” Maria whispered.

“It's fine, it's a topic I don't particularly mind” she gently patted Maria's hand and went on. “I can't carry kids” she said a little sadly, trying not to let them know how painful the story behind that memory was and how long that thought had hunted her and made her suffer. “And Maria doesn't want to. So we'd like to adopt two or maybe three as I was saying. Not right now, because my job's crazy, but when the time is right” she smiled, looking at Maria, hand still on hers.

There was a moment, when time stood still and Maria could let herself imagine this to be true, imagine they were together and were going to have kids and be disgustingly happy. Imagine a life with Natasha Romanoff, her perfect girlfriend, her partner in crime, her superhero.

There was a moment when this was all not only possible, but so real she could almost hear a child laugh in the background as Natasha smiled under a Christmas tree, helping a little girl to unwrap her presents.

There was a moment when she felt like if she closed her eyes she could see Natasha asleep and peaceful, she could feel the gentle press of her lips against her own, she could smell the scent that alarmingly resembled a home – yes, home was a smell, to Maria, it was Natasha's shampoo, fresh cut grass and the smell of an old book. Home was a feeling, a sight, a whispered promise.

She could see it all.

But then, time started again and the moment passed. And reality came crashing back on her, cutting through her skin.

She blinked and it was gone. She was sitting at the table with the woman who saw her only as her best friend again.

She blinked and it was over.

And everybody else missed it, except for Natasha. Her eyes almost looked like she could see in Maria's everything that just went through her mind.

“Can I have some juice, please?” Jenny asked, breaking the silence.

Everybody, who was still and speechless, turned to her.

Sara reached for the juice and filled her glass. Everybody went back to eating, Carl started a conversation with Sara about the menu they were going to decide later.

Maria blinked again. And even though it was gone, even though none of it was real, Natasha's smile, the sound of a child laughing and the smell of home, for some reason those things would not leave her mind.

“I'll go take a shower, alright?” she said, getting up.

Without waiting for an answer, she went towards the stair.

“Don't be upset with her” Natasha told them, once she heard the basement door close. “A lot of our colleagues assumed she didn't want to get married or have kids either because of her sexuality – and that's a stereotype and a little insulting – or because she was very strict as a Commander. You would never guess that, because she's awesome with Kyle and Jenny, but as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Assistant Director she was often either undermined or objectified as a woman. So, since she has wanted both of those things for a while, it bothers her that people assume she doesn't because of her demeanor on the job or some stereotype. I know you have a totally different reason for believing that, but it makes her edgy. Please, don't be upset.”

The three adults were speechless, while the kids were still eating.

“I'm not upset. I need to apologize to her, thank you for telling us that” Barbara told her.

Natasha smiled weakly.

“I'll wash the dishes” she offered then.

“Oh, don't you try it. It was hard enough for me that Maria helped me cook, I'll take it from here” she joked. “Please, can you make sure she's okay?” she asked more seriously and in a lower voice, reaching across the table to take her hand.

Natasha nodded. “Right after I help you with the dishes” she offered with a smile.

Barbara relented. “Deal.”

  


When Maria exited the bathroom after a quick shower, Natasha was there, sitting on the bed, with her back on the headboard and her legs crossed at the ankles.

Her eyes fell on Maria and whatever smooth thing she was about to say, was immediately forgotten as soon as she saw that Maria was wearing nothing beside her underwear. She was brushing her hair with a towel and walking barefoot towards the bed.

Suddenly, all her focus was on the impossible task of _no staring_.

“Your bra is sorry. Your _mom_ , your mom is sorry. About the abs thing. No, that's not right. About the _kids_ thing.”

Natasha swallowed and her eyes got slightly bigger while she forced herself to stay focused on Maria's eyes only and not peek.

She turned back to the book in her hands.

“Your mom is sorry about the kids thing, you sister and brother in law are leaving in about ten minutes, your parents and other sister are leaving in half an hour. I'm going to go be with the kids so you can dress and everything with no rush.”

She closed the book quickly and went towards the door.

“See you abstairs. _Upstairs_. Damn it.”

She sighed and exited the room quickly, but then went back in, staring at the floor.

“Actually, I came here to make sure you were alright. Sorry, I don't know what's happening to me right now. Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Maria was beyond amused and a little bit smug about Natasha's reaction.

“Maybe later, we'll be alone with the kids all day, they don't listen to grown up talks, as you may have noticed.”

“Okay, so I'll wait for you with them?”

“Yeah, you can wait for me _abstairs_.”

Natasha raised her eyes from the pavement to see her smirk blatantly.

“How funny. Make fun of the poor, smitten, woman, Maria” she raised an eyebrow but couldn't help but return the smile. “I'll see you in a bit” she laughed and left again.

Maria was left smirking at a closed door.

  


She went upstairs just in time to say goodbye to her parents, she walked them to their car and then went to hers to retrieve the gifts they bought for the kids.

When she went back, she found them in the living room, sitting on one of the couches, as Natasha was reenacting the highlights of New York battle to them. At least, her own version of the story, slightly modified.

“And then Hawkeye started _crying_ , full on weeping like a baby, while Captain America yelled at the sky for Iron Man to come back because he _loved_ him. And then Iron Man fell back down and we went for burgers. They were really bad burgers, I didn't even finish mine. The fries were 'meh', though.”

“Woah. You're so cool” Jenny told her with dreamy eyes.

“Yes, the Avengers are awesome” Kyle agreed.

Maria tried not to smile too much.

“That is _not_ what happened, Nat. Who wants a present?”

Both of the kids turned towards her excitedly, as she sat down on the other couch. Natasha popped down next to her.

“This one's for you, Jenny.”

She took it from her and looked at the box, her eyes widened immediately after she tore open the paper around it.

“ Oh my God” she asked his parents for that same remote-controlled toy car the previous Christmas but Maria told them she would bring it to her on the next visit. “Thank you, auntie Maria!” she hugged her quickly and then fell back on the couch, trying to open the box.

“And this is for you, Kyle” she told her, handing him a larger package.

He carefully opened it.

“A chemistry set” he gazed lovingly at the box. I love it, i wanted it so bad, my mom said it was too expensive! Thanks, auntie” he hugged her, too. Then hugged Natasha as well. “Can I try it? Please, I'll make sure nothing gets stained or ruined.”

“Sure” Maria said. “But I don't know anything about chemistry, so if you want help...” she pointed at Natasha with her thumb.

“Auntie, I already put the wheels on, but for the downward part we need a screwdriver” they turned to see Jenny had opened the box, took out all the pieces and already half built the car herself.

Natasha looked at Maria with stunned eyes.

“She wants to be a mechanic engineer” she shrugged. “I'll grab a screwdriver, honey.”

“We also need batteries.”

By the time Maria returned, her nephew had already chose the experiment he wanted to try and he and Natasha were beginning on the needed materials.

While they were set on the table in the open space with the kitchen, Maria and Jenny remained on the couch. Once they were done preparing the car, they set on a plan of action.

“Alright” Maria said in a whisper, laying on her stomach next to her niece, who was in a similar position. “I wrote what you said” she folded the paper and put it in the controlled car, making it stick out through the window. “Now deliver our message.”

They looked at each other seriously, both nodding.

She turned on the car, then the remote.

“I'm ready, I'm going in now” Jenny said very seriously with her cute little voice.

Maria barely caught herself before laughing. She loved her niece so much.

The car was swiftly maneuvered through the foyer and into the dining room, they could barely see it anymore, but it was more or less in proximity of the table where Natasha and Kyle were working with the chemistry set.

“Alright, I got as close as possible, I can't see it anymore” Jenny whispered.

Maria nodded.

“Then blow it up, agent” she told her solemnly.

Jenny looked seriously at the controller, raising her little and and then bringing it down, pushing the red button on the controller.

Natasha and Kyle were just laughing and sharing high fives for the awesome result of their first experiment, when Natasha, being a super spy, immediately noticed something moving in their direction and stopping a couple feet before their table. She didn't say anything but kept her eyes open for eventual pranks.

Just when she was about to ask Kyle what he wanted to do next, a noise followed by the flashing of red and orange lights came from the black car on the pavement.

They looked at each other, then moved towards it when it stopped beeping loudly.

“There's a note” he pointed out, bending to pick it up.

“What does it say?” Natasha asked, peeking from behind him.

“'We want to make homemade pizza for lunch, are you in?' Then there's three squares, and beside the squares is written 'Yes', 'No', and 'Maybe'.”

He laughed, showing her the note. Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“Let's write something back” she said, handing him a pen.

A voice from the dining room distracted Maria and Jenny from deciding what they wanted as a topping on the pizza.

“You have thirty seconds to retrieve your car before we're spilling a five percent citric acid solution on it!” came Kyle's voice.

Jenny quickly put the reverse and drove the car back to the foyer and then the living room.

“What's a five percent critic solution?” Jenny asked, confused.

“Citric solution” Maria corrected. “Lemon juice. Not dangerous, but very sticky. It would ruin the car, so good move pulling away.”

Jenny, that could then see the car, put the forward mode again, turning it around and driving it back to them. They quickly took the piece of paper back.

“What did they cross?”

“Maybe” Maria informed her, offering an high five to her. “Wait there's something on the back” she noticed, turning the paper around.

“What does it say?”

“'We love you, but you can't make pizza, Maria. Make us lasagna'. Well, that's rude.”

A few moments later, the car was back in the dining room.

Kyle opened the note.

“'Jenny wants pizza. We can make pizza and muffins as a compromise'. Good enough for me” he said shrugging.

Natasha nodded in agreement.

“Again, you have thirty seconds” Natasha's voice warned them.

Jenny drove the car back and waited for her aunt to unfold the paper.

“It says 'Deal'. We won” she seriously presented Jenny with her hand, so they could bump their fists together.

“Mission accomplished. Let's go make pizza” Jenny got up from the pavement, lifting the car and putting it back in the box, before taking Maria's hand to go with her to the kitchen.

  


Natasha was staring at her, outraged.

“You told me you could not make pizza. You lied to me.”

“Well, this is the best one I've made so far, I usually mess it up, honestly” she shrugged apologetically at Natasha.

“In the light of this new discovery, I feel the surge to ask for your hand in marriage. How do i put in a formal request? Who do i speak to about this?” she asked, while she kept eating her share of pizza.

“This is really good, auntie Maria” Kyle told her, agreeing with Natasha.

“Yeah, it's pizza, duh” Jenny told them.

Maria laughed. “It's pretty good, it's true” she said, ruffling her niece hair, while looking towards a broody smiling Natasha.

They ate the pizza and then decided they could work on fixing the old bikes Carl kept in the garage, so the kids could use them.

Natasha cleaned the plates while they got ready to start working, watching through the window as they set up the bikes and the tools and then all of them sat down to start on the first one.

She grabbed her phone and dialed Clint's number.

“ _Hey, there, Nat, you're alive!”_

“I'm sorry I didn't call back since Monday, I've been a little caught up” she leaned on the counter, still looking out the window and toward the backyard.

“ _How's everything going? Are you and Maria alright?”_

Natasha cleared her voice and decided that if she was going to talk to this about someone, it had to be her best friend.

“You know, it's been good. I wouldn't mind do this more often.”

“ _Faking a relationship or being with Maria every second of every day?”_ he laughed a little at his own joke, but she hesitated instead of answering right away. _“Natasha?”_ he asked a little softer.

“I wouldn't mind that” she said carefully and slowly, pondering every word. “You know, waking up by her side, going for runs in the morning, cooking together, staring at her abs.”

“ _Staring at her- are you- Natasha, you've had a crush on her for years and you've always acted like it didn't even faze you.”_

“That is true. But” she didn't know how to say this without sounding like a teenage girl. “What if this isn't a crush anymore?” she sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Clint, things are getting pretty real, if you catch my drift.”

“ _No, I don't. Are you two banging, that's what this is about?”_

“No!” she said impatiently. “Barton, focus. I'm talking about” she sighed again, then talked in a whisper through gritted teeth. “Feelings.”

She heard him gasp on the other end of the line.

“ _Oh my Thor, are you in love with her?”_

“Ugh. Why do i talk to you” she said in a rushed whisper.

“ _Because you love me. Look, Nat, I don't know how to say this, but”_ it was his turn to sigh. _“You should see how you act around Maria. You're always flirty and smirking and relaxed, like you trust her completely. You've had feelings for her for a while, but you're realizing it because you're spending so much time together, sleeping in the same bed...”_

“Going to wedding dresses stores and talking about getting married.”

“ _Going to wedding dresses stores and talking about getting married”_ he conceded, with a perplexed yet condescending tone.

“Talking about having kids.”

“ _Talking about having- are you fricking serious, Natasha?!”_

“I don't know how it happened. I was carrying glasses one minute and the next thing I know, I'm pondering if we should have two or three kids, with her parents. And the thing is, Clint, I wouldn't mind that either!”

“ _Well, three are a lot”_ he considered.

“I know, but the car has five seats so they'd fit and there are a lot of children in this world that need love and a family and by adopting- what am I even saying right now, we're not even together!” she was about to have an aneurism and Barton was not helping.

“ _But you could be, Natasha. All you have to do is kiss the girl.”_

“Oh my God, did you just quote the Little Mermaid to me, Clinton?”

“ _Me and the kids were watching it last night. It's inspiring, really.”_

“The original book is about a gay man who kills himself in the end.”

“ _Yeah, so learn from his mistakes and kiss Maria before some other woman with default legs steals her from you forever.”_

Natasha looked outside just as Maria rose her eyes to the window, smiling at her as their gazes met and stopping her motions to just look at Natasha for a second. She smiled back, a little transfixed by how gorgeous Maria looked in her flour-stained jeans and blue T-shirt, sitting on the grass with two kids. That could have been a daily image, that could have been her life.

“Yes. I'll do that. Thank you, Barton.”

“ _You're welcome, Tasha.”_

She put her phone back in her pocket, took a bottle of water and went outside, handing it to Maria, who looked up at her with a smile.

“Thank you” she said, drinking it eagerly.

“What are you doing?” she looked at the bicycles which looked even more broken and in pieces than before.

“We're taking this seat and putting it in the other one, than we're changing the chain. This doesn't fit any of them but has good parts. We're almost done, Kyle's is already good to go.”

He looked quite bored.

“I helped fixing it” Jenny told her proudly.

“Hey, buddy, wanna go play some more with chemistry while they finish up? I had so much fun this morning” Natasha ask him.

His eyes perked up, then he looked at his aunt.

“Go, Kyle, I know you want to. This things bore you. We'll call you when we're ready to try them, alright?” Maria asked with a smile.

“Thank you, auntie Maria. Sorry, Jenny, I don't really like to fix things.”

“It's fine, I can fix them for us both” she told him with a chipper tone, working on a screw on the smaller bike's seat.

He shrugged, heading inside. Natasha looked at Maria one more time.

“You have” she pointed to her stained cheek.

Maria rubbed it, making it a lot worse. Both Natasha and Jenny laughed and Natasha bent down, reaching out with her hand.

“Let me” she said, holding still Maria's chin and rubbing her cheek clean with the thumb of her other hand. “There you go” she said, softly. “Perfect.”

She put a strand of her hair behind her hear by instinct, and they lost themselves in each others eyes for a moment.

Then Natasha rose back up and smiled again.

“We'll be back in one scientific experiment” she told them jokingly, then walked backwards to the house.

Maria's eyes didn't leave her until she was out of sight.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first half of the day, because the chapter got really, truly long. Second half is coming soon.
> 
> Come chat with me on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/) about this amazing ship!
> 
> Let me know what you thought about this, I know the light tones of this story are a little odd for these characters. Also, I'm stuck on a scene and I can't seem to get over myself, but luckly I'm a couple chapters ahead. See you guys soon!


	5. Wednesday (part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rob The-Jackass-Brother shows up. A lot of feelings talk.

They ended up on the couch by six, after driving the bikes around for two hours. Jenny fell asleep sitting on the couch, her head leaning on Natasha's left shoulder, while Kyle was lying down with his head on Maria's legs. Natasha was scooting down, her own head on Maria's shoulder. Maria had her own head on the back of the couch.

“It's been a long day.”

“It has, but it's been really fun” Natasha told her, turning a little to smile at her, eyes drifting close slowly.

“Are you falling asleep?”

“No, you're falling asleep.”

“Yes. I can confirm that I am.”

In fact, they both did. When Elena and Phil walked through the door, the first thing they did was taking a hundred pictures of the four of them asleep on the couch. When her parents and Sara returned, her sister squeaked so high at the sight that both of them awoke with a startle.

“Sorry” she said sheepishly.

“What year is it?” Maria asked, looking around her like she had no idea where she was. Then she remember and her head fell back on the couch.

Natasha sat up, forgetting Jenny was leaning on her and waking her as well in the process. She rubbed her eyes, then looked around her.

“Mom, dad, auntie Maria and auntie Nat gave me the best present in the world! A remote car! And we made pizza and we fixed the bikes! Do you want to see the car?” she was up and running in a second, Kyle was still stirring.

“You made pizza without us?” Sara complained.

“Yes and it was awesome, auntie Maria is really great at cooking” he told them. “But we didn't make muffins because we fell asleep.”

“We can make them tomorrow, buddy” Natasha said, reaching over Maria to ruffle his hair. “We should go clean the chemistry set stuff from the table, before Maria lectures us, come on.”

They got up, while Maria tiredly opened her eyes again. Her sisters popped down on both her sides, while the other members of the family went to hung their coats.

“Was I dreaming or did Jenny just called her auntie Nat?” she was suddenly awake.

“She's a keeper” Sara told her seriously.

“If you don't marry her, I will” Elena threatened her.

Maria looked at her skeptically and snorted.

“I'm not kidding. I will divorce my husband to keep her in the family. Or I will make Sara cancel her wedding to marry her instead.”

“Don't think I wouldn't” Sara said, a finger pointing at her.

“I'd marry her in an instant, honestly” Maria raised her hands, defensively.

Elena looked around, then took her coat off and gave it to Sara.

“Would you mind hanging these?”

“Oh, are you giving her the speech now?”

“What, what speech?” Maria asked, starting to get nervous.

“Do you really want to hear this?” Elena whispered to Sara. “It's personal.”

“Well, it's not like you're not her sister, too.”

“Guys, I'm right here” Maria whispered back.

Both of them looked at her, then at each other, then at her again.

“Are things” Elena started, slowly. “Okay, between you two?”

Maria frowned. “Yeah, we're great.”

“You know” Sara pushed. “In the... _bedroom_...area?”

“Oh my _God_.”

Maria tried to get up, but both her sisters put one hand on each of her shoulders, bringing her down again, getting even closer.

“This is not happening” Maria told herself.

“You never kiss” Elena said. “It's a little weird.”

“There are kids, Elena. I won't traumatize your children.”

“Oh, dear, they've seen me and Phil kiss a ton of times. So what if they see you two kiss once or twice, it's not like you should make out in front of them. But you don't even peck each other, at least not on the lips.”

“Why have you been paying attention to this is beyond me, but yes, since you've said it I noticed too” Sara confirmed.

“Is this what a stroke feels like?” Maria pondered out loud.

Natasha came back from the dining room to the living room in that moment.

“Hey, Mia, I was going to-”

“Yes, let's go.”

Natasha frowned at the speed with which Maria got up from the couch.

She took the redhead's hand and led her to the stairs quickly, glancing back to her sisters to make a face at them and mouth 'shut up'.

“What was that about?” Natasha asked, laughing. “I was just telling you I was going to help your mom set the table. Which I won't be doing from here, obviously.”

“They think it's weird that we don't kiss” Maria said hurriedly, pacing the room.

“What are you talking about, we kiss all the time.”

“Not on the lips.”

“Well, we're private people, we're not into PDA's, so what?”

“ _Really_ , not even a peck on the lips by mistake? We're going with _that_?”

Natasha was really trying to focus on the conversation, but Maria was acting a little out of character, and it was so cute seeing the usually so calm and controlled commander act like that.

So she stepped forward, took her shoulders in her hands and made her turn so they were facing each other.

“I-” Maria's words get caught in her throat at the look Natasha was giving her. Her eyes were loving and a little amused. Maria's gaze fell on her lips. She swallowed trickily.

Natasha noticed it, thought back to what Clint said and realized, that was the right moment. They were alone, they were really close and Maria was looking at her lips. There wasn't going to be a better moment than that.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips gently to Maria's, capturing her bottom lip between her own, not trying to make it go any further, just softly kissing her for three seconds, before pulling back.

She opened her eyes and noticed Maria's were still closed.

“Mia?” she asked softly.

She opened her eyes again, clearing her voice. Her cheeks were slightly more colored and she looked a little dazed, she released a breath.

“Did you do this because of what I was saying?” she asked, a little puzzled.

“I- what?” Natasha let go of her shoulders, taking half a step back.

“I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Nat. I don't want you to do something you don't want to do just because my sisters are paranoid.”

“That's _not_ why I did that, Maria. We're alone, they can't see us” she pointed out, crossing her arms on her chest. “Plus, they're not being paranoid, are they? They do have a point.”

“Then why did you do it?” she asked, ignoring the other topic.

Natasha raised her eyebrows at her.

“ _Oh_.”

Maria looked dumbstruck and Natasha averted her eyes and kept staring at the floor. 

She felt like such an idiot. She kissed her. Twice! Well, one and a half since the first one had technically been more on the cheek than on the lips and it could have been mistaken for an almost missed cheek kiss – although, Natasha Romanoff _did not miss_. But still, she kissed her and now Maria would have to reject her and they would have to sleep in the same bed for four more nights and it would be the most awkward thing in the history of humanity.

But then, Maria's hands were on her forearms, making her unfold her arms, and she was close to her again.

“Stop me if I'm reading this all wrong” the brunette told her softly, taking her hands in her own, and then bowing her head down, pressing their lips together again.

It was short and sweet again. She felt Natasha pulling her hands away and she was about to back away and apologize, when she felt them on her cheeks, pulling her down more firmly.

Her own hands grasped Natasha's waist, pulling her closer.

She felt like Natasha's lips were the softest she ever kissed. It was not like anything she had ever imagined, it was soft and slow, Natasha's hand gently holding her face, just a press of lips.

Then Natasha's lips parted, the kiss heated and she felt her knees go weak.

She was kissing Natasha Romanoff and there was a voice in the back of her head that kept yelling at her 'No, _this_ is what a stroke feels like'.

Natasha's arms circled her neck and her hands tried to pull her impossibly closer.

Suddenly they turned and took a step back and Maria was pressed on the wall, Natasha pushing a little on her shoulders to reach up to keep kissing her.

After a knock on the door, it swung open. They were a couple of feet on the left and it hid them while the person was still behind it, so Natasha quickly took a step back while they were still hid from the person who just walked in.

“Hey, Maria, mom wanted to know” Sara stopped, when she realized that both of them, that for some reason were standing in the middle of the room awkwardly with their gazes down, looked a little flustered. “To know if you could” she slightly narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out why they looked so uncomfortable. “If you could come prepare the table after you're done here.”

“We're done, we were just talking about the” she looked to Natasha, swallowing.

“The photo that's on this wall” Natasha explained, pointing behind Maria. “It's really cute, we were taking a closer look. Do you have some other pictures like this?”

Sara frowned. “Some other pictures of our childhood? Well, sure, like a million. Want to see some after dinner?”

“I'd love to” Natasha nodded.

“Great” she smiled, forgetting about how awkward they looked a second before. “Come on then, we're all quite hungry” she turned around and left.

Maria stepped closer to Natasha, taking her hand and intertwining their finger, then looked sheepishly at her with a one sided smile.

Natasha smiled at her brightly, barely refraining from laughing, her forehead fell for a second on Maria's shoulder, then she straighten back up.

Maria leaned down, gave her one last peck, then they followed her sister up the stairs.

  


They had dinner and after, since the kids went straight to play with Jenny's new toy car, they sat down in the living room, Maria, Natasha and Sara on one of the couches, Phil and Elena on the other, and Barbara and Carl were in the armchairs.

They barely sat down when the door opened.

“Hey, people” a male voice shouted from the entrance. “I'm home!”

“Rob, we're in the living room” Carl called out loud. “Are you okay?”

“Good, the drive was boring but it was fine. And how are” he stopped mid sentence as he walked into the room, to see them casually sitting. His eyes landed on Natasha. “Sorry guys, maybe you didn't notice this, but what is the Black Widow doing in the middle of our living room?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

His hair were black and his eyes were dark brown. He had a beard and was dressed like he just left an office, with a suit and tie.

“There's a spider?” Carl asked. “Where?”

“No, dad, I think he means” Maria scratched her forehead and then pointed at Natasha not-so-subtly with her thumb. “So you didn't tell him” she asked casually to her sister, sitting next to her, shrugging her shoulders like it was all asked casually “that you had this plan of” she shook her head and sighed a little “ _not_ talking about this?”

“ _The_ Black Widow? _That_ Black Widow?” Carl asked, eying her carefully.

“Oh, this explains why you're so strong, you must work out a lot” Barbara told her “I knew I should have fed you more, Maria does she eat enough?”

“Mom” Maria sighed.

“What? If she needs to save the world, _she_ has to eat properly” she explained as if it was obvious.

“Okay, I have to ask” Carl told her, leaning forward.

Natasha felt a little taken aback by their reactions, they seemed so calm. Like it didn't matter to them, like the fact that how good she was to Maria – which they witnessed over the previous two days – was a lot more important to them than this. Like it didn't change anything at all.

“Dad, please don't” Sara tried to stop him, while Elena also made a disgruntled noise.

“No, I have to!” he told them, then looked at Natasha seriously. “Where do you keep your weapons?That suit is so tight! And you bring out those weapons like you made them appear out of thin air, I don't get it! It's been bugging me for ages!”

Natasha smiled a little shyly. Food and pockets. That was what Maria's parents wanted to ask her first. Not how many people she killed or how many she tortured. Not what was done to her in the Red Room. Not traumatic and awful stuff, but just the things you'd ask an average hero – and what an oxymoron that was.

“Well, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s suit has a lot of pockets. And I mean _a lot_. Also, I'm a big fun of tape if I'm about to go into battle.”

He pondered that for a moment. “Tape. You heard that, Barb? Tape, that's brilliant!” he clapped his hands and then laughed. “Tape” he whispered, incredulously, shaking his head.

Natasha turned to Maria and saw her smug expression, that meant 'I told they wouldn't care' and Natasha had never been so grateful of being wrong.

“So nobody's questioning this? She's here as, what exactly, Maria's girlfriend?” Rob asked.

“Yeah, she's just Natasha, dude” Sara told him, as he sat on the other couch next to Elena and Phil, shrugging. “She's the perfect girl for Maria.”

“Well, I bet. She looks like the perfect girl for anyone” he grinned.

Natasha felt Maria stiffen a little, so she put her hand on Maria's knee gently.

“The real question is what is she doing with Maria?” he laughed at his own joke. Nobody else did, Sara sighed and Elena shook her head.

“Rob” Carl warned him with a single word.

“I'm just saying, are we sure they're really together?”

Phil was the one to laugh. “Just watch the look on their faces when they talk about each other, they're a couple, trust me, man” he said, raising both his eyebrows.

Both of them blushed a little.

“Yeah, and the way the look at each other in general” Elena added. “They're so in love, it makes you happier just to look at them.”

They blushed harder, looking at each other. Maria's hand fell on Natasha's on her knee.

“Also, I caught them making out, like, two hours ago” Sara said.

Both of their heads sprung around, their eyes went wide.

“What?” she asked, unfazed. “You thought I bought that whole staring at the wall thing?” she asked them, raising an eyebrow. “You're super spies, for God's sake, it was embarrassing seeing you stumble over your words to lie to me.”

“We weren't” Maria avoided her gaze, choosing wisely not to continue her sentence.

“Really, just looking at that picture” Natasha agreed. “It's a good picture.”

“Which reminds me, mom do we have any embarrassing pictures of Maria as a baby?” Sara asked with a smirk.

“I know just the perfect photo album, I'll take it right away” Barbara said, getting up.

“Don't talk to her like that, she's the Black Widow” Rob whispered to Sara in the meantime. “She could kill you in two seconds with her pinkie.”

“She could, but she won't” Sara told him, laughing a little. “We're friends, she helped me chose on the last modifies to the dress and I think she made some really good calls.”

Natasha smiled, nodding at her. “I thought so, too. Especially on the veil.”

“Ah, yes, Elena and Karen thought it was okay before, but they eventually agreed it's better as it is now” Sara nodded.

“Karen was there?” Rob asked, suddenly interested in the conversation again. “You two saw each other again?” he asked Maria, suddenly serious and very obviously trying to sound casual as he asked, ending up sounding anything but.

“Yeah. It was alright” Maria stated.

He looked nervously at his sister and she shrugged.

“Actually, some pretty interesting stuff was said” Elena told both him and her husband. “It turned out it wasn't Maria's fault they broke up” she also looked at Carl.

“You talked about that?” Rob said and Natasha saw him go a little pale.

“Yeah, the truth came out” Sara confirmed.

Natasha felt Maria sigh as if she was bracing herself. For what, she didn't know, but she saw her rub her eyes like she did when she was about to have a meeting with someone petty but important.

“Really?” Rob asked, a little anger in his voice. He was looking at Maria but she was avoiding his eyes. “After all this time, you just went and told them?”

Natasha was unsettled by his accusatory tone.

“I didn't tell them anything, Rob, calm down” she told him with a tired voice of someone who was probably expecting that very question. She should have known, in hindsight, that telling an upsetting man to calm down would have only made things worse. 

“Why?” he asked, voice still harsh. “What good will this do, why now?”

“Will you just stay quiet, I didn't say anything” Maria said calmly but resolutely.

Barbara returned in that moment, handing a book to Natasha.

“There you go, this is the best one” she smiled with complicity.

“Oh, yes, some naked pictures of my two years old self, let's discuss this instead” Maria encouraged Natasha as she took the book with a smile.

“I can't fucking believe you, Maria” he said, clearly pissed off.

“What is going on?” Barbara asked.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Elena looked between the two of them.

“Wait, so you knew and didn't say anything?” Sara asked her brother incredulously.

He shook his head, looking down. “I knew you would bring this back up someday just to make me look bad” he told her harshly.

Maria laughed bitterly. “You're the one bringing this up. You're the one talking, you're the one who just gave away you were even involved.”

“One of you explain, now” Carl said resolutely.

“Oh, sure, you're as innocent as ever, didn't tell anything to anyone at all. As if” he whispered bitterly, ignoring his father.

Maria and Rob went into a staring contest. Maria daring him to talk and Rob daring her not to. Both of them lost it, as Maria took a breath to start and he sighed and laughed ironically, leaning back on the couch.

“Let's all remember this was years ago, please” was the first thing Maria said and that's how Natasha knew it was something really bad. “And that I'm over this and I've been for a while. Alright?” she looked at her dad, then at Sara, raising her eyebrows.

Her sister took a moment to look in her eyes, then nodded.

“You guys remember the week before I left for Iraq? I was coming home for the weekend and didn't tell Karen because it was meant to be a surprise, but I told mom and dad a month before, except” she stole a glance at her dad.

“We forgot, yes. We were really sorry, Maria, you know us, we didn't do it on purpose.”

“We didn't even know Natasha was a super heroine, we're just a little in the clouds. We apologized ever since” Barbara sounded sorry even then.

“No, I know. You know how we spoke when I arrived and you guys weren't at the airport, you told me you forgot and took Sara and Elena hiking for the weekend. And I didn't sound very mad right then?”

Both of them nodded.

“I wasn't. I mean, I was sorry I couldn't spend the weekend with you because I was leaving for a long time, I didn't know if I'd come back. But you'd be back in time to say goodbye, and I could spend that time with Karen, so it was alright.”

“Well, but then you called us a couple of hours later, telling us you were leaving on the next flight, you said you were fine, that your flight was anticipated, but you sounded angry and wouldn't listen to reason. You just had to go” Carl remembered it all too well.

“I'm sorry about how stubborn I was about leaving. But I couldn't” she took a deep breath. “I just couldn't stay.”

“Oh, so now that's my fault, too?” Rob asked, bitterly, unimpressed. “Your cowardly escape was just on me?”

“I'm not saying that” Maria replied, calm but not rude. She turned to her father again. “I took a cab home. I used my keys, I knew Rob was here” she turned, looking straight at the floor between her feet. “I called for him as soon as I was in and I thank God every single day I did” she laughed ironically. “He didn't answer but I heard some noises, so I left my suitcase and got up to his room, knocked, the door was unlocked. And since I'm an idiot, I got in and” she shrugged, her eyes distant, lost in the memory of a day she couldn't forget, no matter how much she had wanted to and tried to. “And Karen was there” she met Sara's confused gaze.

“What do you mean she was there?” Elena asked, slowly, trying not to look already disgusted by what Maria had merely implied.

Maria kept looking at Sara, she saw her sister connecting everything that happened ever since and suddenly, there it was.

“Robbie, tell me this isn't true” Barbara said, looking at her son with pleading eyes.

Rob was staring angrily at Maria.

“Are you happy now that you told them?” he asked bitterly.

“You're the one who brought it up” she said quietly, then looked down again.

“Oh my God, Rob, this is so gross” Sara told him, finally turning away from Maria. “I didn't speak to her for _months_. Why didn't you tell me what happened?!”

“Well, why didn't Karen?” he retorted. “It wasn't my fault, she threw herself at me.”

“Oh, Rob, please” Elena scoffed, shaking her head.

“It's true! She came here, telling me she missed men” he had the nerve to air quote the last two words and pronounced them in a mocking voice. “What was I supposed to do?”

“Mh” Maria pretended to carefully think about that, raising her chin. “Well, let's see. Maybe, and this is just a thought, _not_ sleep with your sister's girlfriend.”

“Look, if it hadn't been me, it would have been another dude, Maria.”

“But it was you?” she pointed out, furrowing her eyebrows and shaking her head incredulously. “It doesn't matter, Robbie. It was a long time ago. It's alright” she said, shrugging.

She felt Natasha's hand take hers, intertwining their fingers, offering silent support. She squeezed back, turning to smile at her a little.

“God, could you be any colder? Is your soul made of stone or what?” he snorted at her.

Maria sighed. “I'm done with this conversation, I'm going to bed.”

“Sure, just run away as you did that day.”

That made Maria pause. “I stayed. The three of us got in a screaming match.”

“No, the two of us screamed while you walked away. You didn't even raise your voice” he told her, doing just that.

“Rob, please, tone it down” she said slowly.

“Do you guys fucking see this?” he scoffed and looked around the room. “She's either a robot or a sociopath. Karen was crying and screaming at you not to go, and you just turned around and went down the stairs.”

“I just found her half naked in your room” she pointed out. “The fact that she cried and said she loved me didn't change that, did it?”

“What about what I had to say?”

Maria sighed. “You kept saying it was her fault. I didn't particularly cared and also, you both did that, it wasn't just her.”

“But she initiated it” he said, like that meant everything.

“Yeah, Robbie, and you just went with it. I loved that girl, I don't anymore, but I loved her once. And you just slept with her because she asked?” she shook her head and sighed again, but stayed calm and didn't raise her voice.

“Will you please just fucking yell in my face” he raised his voice again.

“God, calm down” she told him, raising a hand.

“Stop saying that” he said, too loudly. “Stop telling me to calm down. Why are you so controlled, why didn't you make a fucking scene right then and there, why nothing ever hurts you?”

“So you _wanted_ to hurt me?”

The whole thing was getting really crazy, really fast. Rob ignored her comment.

“I fucked your girlfriend, you should have screamed at my face and told me you hated me, told me you were never going to forgive me, told me you were so angry you could barely breath.”

Maria remembered how she felt back then. She was heartbroken, mad, angry, furious even. But she just knew that to physically show it wouldn't have changed how things were.

“I was angry, sure. I snapped at dad on the phone, I left the house right away and didn't even wait to say goodbye. I just don't show it like this, screaming and throwing a scene” she made at gesture at him, pointing out his antics.

“Of course you don't, you're the perfect child, aren't you” he told her, even angrier and more bitter than before.

“What are you talking about? Mom and dad didn't want a soldier for a daughter, they wanted grandchildren and an average family for us, they've been bugging me to settle down for ages, Elena's their perfect daughter” she pointed at her sister.

“Sure, they've been asking me that, too. But they're also always asking me when I'll get a promotion, how is work going, if I'm involved in some big cases. I'm a lawyer, do you think they've ever been proud of that?” he shouted. “No, of course not!”

“Robbie, that's not true” Barbara tried to calm him.

“How could they, they had you as a comparison! You joined the military and left with the marines when you were nineteen and I was still in law school! And when I graduated they didn't really care, did they? You became a fucking Commander and came back from Iraq.”

“I'm sorry I didn't die, that must have been such an inconvenience for you” Maria told him sarcastically. Natasha squeezed her hand warningly. She took a deep breath.

“And then you couldn't just join S.H.I.E.L.D. and stay a simple Agent, no, you had to become the Deputy Director.”

“Yes, that's exactly how it works, you fill an application and ask if you can be the Assistant Director so you can make your parents proud and they just pick one. It's not like you're appointed or something, there's just a form to send in” her sarcasm was skyrocketing but her voice was still low and calm.

“And then you just bring the fucking Black Widow as your girlfriend at home like it's just your everyday life, like you can just randomly start fucking the Black Widow because you're so perfect, nobody will question it.”

Maria got up from the couch and her brother did the same.

Finally he thought he stung a nerve, but she didn't even flinch, just stared at him for several seconds, fists clenched.

She was so angry, every muscle in her body was tense. But showing that, it wasn't acceptable for Maria. Showing rage meant your enemy was getting under your skin. She learned quickly after joining the military, it was never a good idea to be too hot headed. She became the person she was by always being in control of the emotions she showed, even if it was ultimately impossible not to feel them. Especially when having a conflict. In the same way she shut down with her mother when she brought up kids, she was refusing to show her brother how much he had hurt her years before and how much his words were hurting her then.

“I'm going to bed” she said again, calmly. “This conversation is over.”

“I'm not a soldier you can boss around. I'll stop talking when I want to stop talking!”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself” she told him, rounding the couch and going towards the stairs to the basement. “But I'm done listening.”

Natasha got up and followed her.

“Thanks for the book, Barbara” she thanked her politely. “I'll give it back tomorrow if that's alright with you.”

“You can keep it as long as you want, dear” she said, voice shaking and teary eyed.

“Are you kidding me!” Rob said, rounding the couch as well. “Are you even real? The perfect girlfriend for the golden child!”

“Why are you so fucking mad that mom and dad are proud of my job?” Maria spun around, throwing her hands in the air and sighing.

“Because it was supposed to be me” he told her, still too loud. “Elena's a manager but she never talks about it, Sara's a journalist for a weekly magazine, I'm a lawyer for disadvantaged kids, and the good job was supposed to be my thing!”

“My God, Rob, who cares? I never talk about it. Mom and dad avoid talking about S.H.I.E.L.D. as much as they hated talking about the military. They're not proud of me.”

“They won't shut up about you whenever they talk, Maria!”

“He's right about that, but we don't mind” Sara reassured her. “I brag about you with my friends all the time.”

“See? This is what I'm talking about, they can never be proud of me when I tell them something I accomplished because they're too busy being proud about their lesbian daughter!”

Maria scoffed and put her hands on her hips, raised her chin and looked at him daringly. It was a pose Natasha knew all too well, as it was usually reserved for scolding at newly recruited agents for failing a rather simple task.

“What does the fact that I'm a lesbian have to do with any of this?”

“Are you kidding me, look at our sisters” he vaguely pointed with her hand, while keeping his eyes on hers. “None of this would have happened if you were normal!”

The whole room fell oddly silent for the longest moment.

“Shit, I didn't mean that” he said in a lower voice after a while.

“Yes you did” Maria scoffed at him. “It took you thirteen years to finally say it. This is your problem with me. Not the job, not the military. This. Your raging homophobia and the fact that you thought you were entitled to sleep with Karen with zero consequences because she was a girl and you were a boy and I was just a phase to her.”

“Yes, okay? Yes” he said loudly, again. “I thought I was better for her.”

“Well, guess what, _you_ were her phase. The biggest mistake of her life, remember when she called you that? The reason I didn't scream at you that day, was that the things you said to each other were bad enough and I felt sorry for the both of you. I didn't want to hurt you even worse than she did because _you were my brother_ ” she raised her voice on the last four words for the first time since the beginning of that whole conversation. “But the more I thought about it the less I could understand how you could do that, then blame her, then blame me and hate me. And the truth is, since long before that day, you could never stand me. And this is the reason. That I'm gay.”

He sighed. “I'm your brother, Maria” he shook his head and looked down. “I love you even if I'm not completely comfortable with this.”

“No, you don't” she laughed ironically. “You purposefully did and said some stuff...you can't do that to someone you love. And you've never acted like a brother to me, so please don't start now. I'm done with this conversation” she said again. “I'm going to bed.”

When she walked to the stair, nobody tried to stop her. Natasha quietly followed her.

She closed the door, watching Maria sit on the edge of the bed. She walked to her side, dropping the album on her nightstand, then rounded the bed again and dropped down beside her, without saying a word she took her hand.

Maria turned to her and leaned her forehead on Natasha's shoulder, feeling her immediately wrap an arm around her shoulders.

“I know, love. It's going to be alright.”

Maria was not, by any means, an ugly crier, or a loud crier. She just let the tears fall on Natasha's shoulder, letting her hug her as she whispered comforting words, the only sign she was actually crying was the light shaking of her back.

It broke Natasha's heart. She never saw Maria crying before, she had honestly hoped she never would, she wished she could always protect her from everything that might hurt her, but she couldn't protect her from what already had.

After a while, when she had been still for several seconds, Natasha pulled slightly back, to look in her eyes. She took her cheeks in her hands, lifting her chin gently, wiping the tears from her face and waiting for her to raise her gaze.

“I feel so tired” she whispered after a while.

“Let's go to bed, Mia” she told her softly.

They both knew she meant something else, but it didn't matter right then.

She made a move to back off, still refusing to meet her eyes. But Natasha's heart was sinking deeper and deeper, so, as she was forced to let go of her face due to her backing off, she took her hand as she rose up from the bed in order to stop her.

“If or when you want to talk about it, I'm here. Just look at me for one second, and I'll let this go, Maria.”

She got up as well, standing by her side. Maybe she was being pushy without realizing it, but worry overcame her since Maria wouldn't even look at her.

The brunette turned her head, but didn't look up.

“I'm sorry you had to see that.”

“Your brother's behavior isn't your fault.”

“Well, my own behavior is, though. I snapped and said some tough stuff. And then I cried on your T-shirt.”

“You said how you felt, and sure, you said a couple harsh things, but after his twenty minutes long monologue he kind of had a response coming. And tears won't harm my precious shirt, Maria” she told her, softly.

“I'm sorry.”

“Stop saying that. You shouldn't be. You were so calm, even when he was screaming all that awful things, you were patient. I don't think I've ever seen anyone react so calmly.”

“You can thank the marines for that, it really tamed an already controlled person” she gave her a half smile and finally met her eyes.

Natasha returned her smile. “You're so magnificently stoic even in the face of something so damn enraging. I would have punched him if he was my brother, I can assure you that. But you were unwavering. I'm not sorry I saw that.”

Natasha would never admit it, but she had never felt more attracted to another human being that much. Maria made her feel so safe, like she could never lose control over her own actions. 

That was something Natasha deeply needed, after meeting Bruce and Barnes. She realized after her almost kiss with Bruce and her fight against the winter soldier, that what she wanted and needed was someone who would never randomly try to kill her. Someone normal.

Maria was more than that. She was the exact opposite. She was so perfectly measured, so beautifully balanced, she always was attracted to that, she just thought it was the authority that fascinated her back when she was the Deputy Director. But it wasn't just that. It was the way she carried herself. So sure, so effortlessly unwavering.

She was deeply and completely in love with her. Because of that and because of another million things. She was in love with Maria.

“In fact, I'm happy I saw that” she said, her voice just slightly dreamy, barely giving away what her train of thoughts had been a moment before.

Maria searched her face, a little half smile in place, a glint of curiousness in her eyes.

“You don't look like you were happy you saw that, you look like you were” she searched for the right word, as she kept analyzing her expression. “Glad or reassured.”

“Also, that” she slightly nodded. “But also, this.”

Without adding an explanation she rose on her tiptoes and kissed Maria gently, backing down immediately.

“I'll go to the bathroom first, okay?” she told her, trying not to be too proud of Maria's stunned expression. At least she was smiling.

They took their turns, and when Maria finally slipped into bed, Natasha was looking at the photo album that Barbara gave her. She put it down when Maria got in and turned towards her, lying on her side.

“How are you?” she asked softly as Maria turned the light off, leaving them just in the light coming from Natasha's nightstand.

Maria laughed lightly.

“Right, sorry” Natasha apologized, popping her head up on her hand, elbow on her pillow. She started to caress Maria's hair softly. “Do you want me to shut up?”

“No, I like your voice.”

“Do you want me to talk about something randomly or do you want to talk about this more?” she said, scooting a little closer.

“Not now, I'm too tired. Maybe tomorrow you can help me process.”

“I'd like that.”

“Say something random, if you want.”

“Let's see” she tried to think about something, as she laid down, turning off her own light. She gestured for Maria to get closer, opening her arms, putting one under Maria's neck and the other around her waist, hugging her close. “I called Barton, today. He says hi, by the way. He thinks we're being oblivious, he's been thinking that for years, but what does he know? He's been married since he was born.”

Maria laughed a little. She was happy to just listen to her, her nose pressed to Natasha's collarbone and her eyes closed already.

“I honestly don't think he remembers what his life was like before. He spends his evenings watching The Little Mermaid, I'm already making jokes about that in my head for when I see him again.”

“We can both start calling him Sebastian with no explanation whatsoever and see how quickly he catches on.”

“That's a great idea, we can even bring Tony in on that one. I had fun today, with Kyle. He's really smart, he barely needed me at all. Jenny's super smart, too, she's going to be an engineer by the age of twelve. Those kids are great, polite, sweet, I get why you love them so much.”

Maria hummed softly, but didn't answer. She was drifting towards sleep.

“The pizza was also great. And yes, I know, I'm addicted to food. Big deal, everyone is. They just don't enjoy theirs as much as I do.”

She gently stroked Maria's back. She was breathing evenly and appeared to be sound asleep.

“I wish I had the nerve to tell you last night, that I wasn't asleep. That maybe you're right, maybe if your love is big enough you don't need to be loved back for it to be worth it, but I just wish you knew, Maria, that you _are_. You are loved back. I love you back.”

She felt so silly, saying something like that for the first time when the person she was telling it to was asleep. But she didn't feel like she could, otherwise.

“Goodnight, Mia” she whispered, softly kissing her forehead and closing her eyes.

Sleep quickly overcoming her, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little insecure about this chapter, there isn't a lot of plot so I wasn't sure about it being a stand alone, but it was too long not to split. I focused on Maria's characterization and on the family dynamics, I'm not completely sure it was the right path, but here it is.
> 
> Come chat with me on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/)  
> !
> 
> Hope you'll let me know what you thought!


	6. Thursday (part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke's family shows up. They're not all nice. Sara is going to punch a homophobe sooner or later. Maria starts to open up to Natasha and Natasha, the super spy, does some spying.

Thursday morning, when Maria woke up, she bumped her nose into something. Tiredly opening her eyes, she realized it was Natasha's collarbone, and that she was still wrapped up in her arms. The redhead stirred, opening her eyes, too. She looked down at the same time Maria looked up.

“Hey” she told her softly with a one sided smile.

Maria felt her heart pound in her chest, and she was pretty sure it was not normal to feel like that for a one syllable word. Maybe that was it and she was finally going to have a stroke.

But if she had to go, she surely was going to go with a bang.

She tipped her head up higher, softly kissing Natasha's lips. For a moment.

“Good morning” she said, pulling back and slightly blushing. God, she felt like she was twelve again, it was disheartening.

Natasha didn't say anything, she just kissed her again. Maria's hand in between them went up to linger on Natasha's neck, while the other one was clutching at the side of Natasha's shirt covering her hip. She felt the redhead's hands on her back, pulling her impossibly closer.

She slid up slightly and deepened the kiss, the movement combined with Natasha's guiding hands made her rotate her position, until she was half on top of her, her left hand leaving Natasha's neck to fall on the pillow to support her own weight.

As Natasha's hands landed on her sides, pulling her even closer, she felt the redhead's right leg come up and rest on her hip. 

And if Natasha's was trying to kill her, it was perfectly working. Especially when she made the subconscious decision to bring her own hand lower, on Natasha's tight. And that was how she remembered Natasha wasn't wearing any pants. And neither was she.

A moan escaped her lips and Natasha's grip tightened.

As she came up to take a breath, she tried to find something to say at least mildly coherent, but before she could, Natasha's lips were on her neck and one of her hands was softly gripping her hair to tilt her head back slightly.

She gave up on the thought-forming part and went in for another kiss, that was even more heated than the previous one.

Natasha's hand on her hip moved her shirt and grazed her skin. It was her turn to break the kiss, sighing softly.

Maria kissed her neck and traced a path to her collarbone, then she went back up to Natasha's lips, as she felt her hand moving onward.

And she had to laugh, she _had_ to.

“Are you feeling up my abs?”

Natasha bit lightly on her neck and suddenly it wasn't that funny anymore.

“I'm _so_ not sorry I did it. Ugh, it's just muscles, why are yours so good to look at and to touch?” her voice was breathy and Maria did not know the answer to that, but she wanted to thank every Deity ever praised that Natasha thought so.

The hand in her hair tightened and she felt a light scratch at her abdomen and nothing in the world could have ever expressed how much she desperately wished the knock she heard at the door right after that had just been in her head.

When the door opened she swiftly removed herself from Natasha, ending up sitting next to her on the bed. Natasha also got up in a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her torso.

“Hey guys, I” Elena stopped on the threshold. “Ah. Were you” she tried with all her might not to laugh at the expressions on the faces of two of the most powerful women in the world, standing there as if they were teenagers caught making out by their parents. “Staring at that picture on the wall Sara was talking about?”

“Did you need something?” Maria tried to sound normal.

“You left your phone upstairs” she showed her the incriminated item. “I didn't want to wake you up, since you had a rough night, but the alarm kept going off and apparently this thing only recognizes your prints, so.”

Maria got up from the bed, an hand extended so her sister could give her the phone.

“Since you usually get up at the crack of dawn, alarm or not, I should have assumed you were” she briefly glanced at Natasha, still trying to keep a straight face. “Looking at the wall. It's half past nine, you kids get ready, because Luke and his family are going to get here in three hours and mom needs help getting everything in place, okay?” she smirked a little. “So either be really quick or stop staring at pictures.”

“Please Elena, just go away, we'll be right up.”

Her sister was still smirking when Maria closed the door in her face. And locked it. Because of course, she hadn't thought about the fact that it wasn't one of their rooms from when they were kids that didn't lock, it was a guest room, with a proper key.

“I'm really, really, really sorry.”

Natasha was already getting up. She caught up with Maria, smirking at her and kissing her quickly and deeply.

“We can” she said backing off “look at more pictures later. Come on, we need to get ready for that lunch.”

Maria watched her open the suitcase to pick something to wear and as she was leaning on the door for support, she thought that if she got out of that week alive, nothing could ever manage to kill her at all.

  


When they got up, all the women were in the kitchen, Elena was doing some origami with the napkins to put them next to the dishes on the table as decorations, while Sara was cutting some carrots and Barbara was baking a cake.

“Hey, can we help with something?” Maria asked.

“We got it covered” Barbara smiled at her. “Are you feeling alright? You didn't do your morning routine.”

Maria shrugged. “It is a holiday after all. I'll wash the dishes, so you don't have them piling in the sink.”

“You put the soap on and I rinse it?” Natasha proposed.

They were serious for about five minutes, before Natasha reached on Maria's half of the sink, taking a little handful of bubbly soap to deposit it on the taller woman's nose.

Maria slowly turned towards her, raising her eyebrows. Natasha was biting her lips to keep from smiling at the sight of the Commander with soap on the tip of her nose.

Maria took some and landed it on her cheek, then looked at her with challenge in her eyes.

Natasha knew she couldn't just grab Maria's shirt and pull her in, because they were supposed to be responsible adults attending an important family lunch. But she really wished she could have.

She rose on the tip of her toes and blew the soap away from her nose.

Maria snorted and resumed her duty.

“Good morning” Rob approached the kitchen island, looking past it and towards the sink. Maria's back stiffened and she didn't turn around, even if Natasha did, her expression suddenly serious, her smile long gone.

He was about to say something else, when Sara put herself between him and the place where Maria was standing. She raised the hand with which she was holding a very big knife.

“Do you want me to start yelling at your face again?” she asked, coldly.

“Please, don't” Elena told her, going next to her to be in between the other two siblings. “You kept screaming until well past one in the morning, so don't start again, I'm begging you.”

“I won't” Sara said, keeping her eyes on Rob. “As long as he stays away from Maria and Natasha” she stepped closer to him, knife still raised. “Doesn't talk to them” she took another step. “Doesn't even _think_ about them.”

He raised both of his hands. “Alright. I got it. I'll go back in the living room to watch TV with dad and Phil.”

Sara faked a smile. “Good, do that.”

He turned around and left, just as Maria turned too, to look at her sisters.

“Don't look so surprised” Elena said. “Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean we don't have your back, Maria. You're our little sister, we'll always try to protect you.”

“Yeah, I mean” Sara sighed. “You two are good at handling bad guys, but we still want to protect you from the ones you can't shoot.”

Maria stepped towards them, hugging them both, not even caring that her sister was still holding a knife.

“Thank you” she whispered to them, stepping back and returning to the sink.

That was the moment Kyle chose to run into the dining room and to Natasha, ignoring the rest of them blatantly.

“Nat, do you want to play with the chemistry stuff again?” he asked excitedly.

“Oh, buddy, I wish I could, but I'm helping Maria with the dishes” she apologized.

He looked at his aunt with his very best pout.

“Why don't you two go play and I'll handle the dishes?” she proposed.

Kyle beamed at her, running to her to hug her quickly, before shouting a “Thank you auntie Maria” in her general direction while he run to the living room table to set the kit.

Natasha hugged Maria around the waist, too. “Yes, thank you auntie Maria” she whispered with a smirk. “You're so soft with tiny humans, if only our tiny agents moved you as much.”

Maria laughed at her ironically. “I advise you to go with him before I change my mind, Agent Romanoff.”

“You're not my boss anymore, Commander Hill” she whispered back, leaning up to peck her lips, before walking in the direction Kyle had taken off.

“Do you two, uhm” Elena cleared her voice. “Need some time to go finish looking at those pictures?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, yes” Sara nodded. “Elena told me you were starting to look at pictures this morning, too. I don't know how could we ever think you two didn't...look at pictures enough.”

Maria was starting to blush, even if she tried to control herself as best as she could, but it was hidden by the fact that she turned back to finish washing the dishes.

“Oh, but I told Natasha, there's no rush” Barbara told them. “You can keep that album as long as you like, there's no problem.”

“Yes, mom, thank you” Maria said over her sisters snorting. She shot a look at both of them, slightly narrowing her eyes.

“I'll start getting the table in the back yard ready” Phil told them as he and Rob passed by. His voice sounded slightly scared and while he tried to look calm he was almost running to the backdoor with his brother in law on his heels.

She just finished washing all the dirty stuff, so she went in the other room, peeking at Natasha and her nephew.

“Hey, Nat, quick question. Did you by any chance threaten my brother in law?”

“Not at all” she answered flatly. Maria waited, unconvinced. “Okay, maybe I threatened your brother _just a little_. I said out loud it was a possibility that Kyle's experiment was accidentally going to blow up in his direction.”

Maria raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well, it was. Technically. If I _accidentally_ turned the table upside down in his direction.”

“That could have happened” Carl said sternly from his armchair. “That table is really old and unsteady.”

“Don't you want to watch the game with him?” Maria asked him.

He shrugged. “Don't you want to watch it with me, instead?” he leaned ahead and grabbed one of the unopened beers on the table, offering it to Maria.

She smiled a little, taking it and sitting down on the couch. She was barely down, when Jenny walked in, preceded by her car.

“Auntie Maria, do you want to write a note to put in the car and send to the kitchen?” she asked, bouncing around happily.

“Sure, what do you want to write?” she asked, as she lifted her niece on the couch, to sit next to her and hugged her to her side.

“I don't know. That we love them?”

“That's a great idea, we should tell them that.”

  


Maria was sitting on a chair at the kitchen island, helping Sara who was still cutting the vegetables to bring to the table. Jenny was still driving the car around, while Kyle had put his kit away and Natasha cleaned the table. She joined them in the kitchen when she was done.

“Need a hand?”

“Who's with the kids?” Elena asked, still folding the napkins.

“Carl and Barbara, they're sitting on the couch and he's telling them the story of how the two of them met.”

“They've heard it a million times” Elena rolled her eyes. “It never gets old to them.”

The front doorbell rang.

“I got it” Barbara called loudly, while going to answer. “Hey Luke” they heard from the foyer. “Sara's in the kitchen.”

“My dad is parking the car, they'll all be right here, I'm going to say hi to her if it's alright.”

As he entered the kitchen, he went straight to Sara, kissing her quickly on the lips.

He smiled at Maria, nodding, then at Elena. Then at Natasha. His expression didn't change in the slightest. But instead of turning away he kept looking at her.

“Sara” he said through his gritted teeth, still smiling politely. “The Black Widow is in your kitchen. Did you know that?”

“Luke, I told you she was going to be here” she told him slowly, eying him incredulously.

“I thought you were joking” he said, still smiling and staring at Natasha, talking through his gritted teeth.

“Why would I joke about that?” she said in a hurried tone.

“I don't know” he whispered nervously, breaking his awkward expression to turned to her, slightly panicking. “I asked you if your sister was coming alone and you said 'No she's bringing Natasha, we think she might be the Black Widow, but we don't know for sure' and I was like 'Ha ha', Sara” his eyes went wide with panic. “It's like if I asked you if Elena was coming with Phil and you told me 'No, she's coming with Iron Man'.”

“Well, that's preposterous, Iron Man is in a relationship, everyone knows that” Elena dismissed him, laughing.

“Yes, and everyone thinks the Black Widow is romantically involved with Hawkeye” he gestured towards Natasha. “There are theories.”

Natasha made a disgusted face. “Oh my- what? What?! People think that? He's like my older overprotective brother, he quotes The Little Mermaid at me!” she felt a little nauseous.

Maria gently took her hand, patting her. Natasha got closer to Maria's chair, putting an arm on her shoulders as Maria's own circled her waist.

“You weren't joking” Luke whispered.

“I wasn't” Sara confirmed. “I guess this means you didn't tell your family.”

He grimaced. “My parents won't make a fuss.”

“And your super nerdy brothers?” Sara raised an eyebrow skeptically.

He grimaced, again.

The voices in the foyer distracted them. His family arrived, it was too late.

Natasha gave her an amused look. Maria knew what it meant.

“Do you want to pull a Sarah versus Beth? Or not believable enough?” Maria asked her, smirking already.

“I was thinking more about an Ellen and Portia kind of thing” she raised an eyebrow.

“We could put a Jolie twist on it and, tah-dah!” Maria suggested.

“Probably we should just go with the Blanchett move and call it a day” Natasha made a bored face, shrugging.

“Yeah, you're right, it's our only way out.”

“No, stop that” Elena warned them. “Just act normal” she pointed a finger at Maria, then moved it towards Natasha. “They'll do a couple stupid questions and you'll dodge them. That's it.”

Maria snorted. “What do you think a Blanchett move is? Amateurs” she whispered.

Natasha laughed and playfully swatted the shoulder under her hand. Maria looked up at her with an adoring smile that Natasha returned.

“And _please_ ” Sara underlined verbally the word. “ _Please_ , stop thinking about...pictures...as long as Luke's parents are here.”

They had at least the decency to look guilty for a second, before glancing at each other while trying to hide their smiles.

“Why are they thinking about pictures?” Luke asked in a whisper as they got up and moved to the back door to start bringing the dishes on the outside table. “What kind of pictures are we talking about? Superheroes secret identities?”

“Just help them set the table, Luke.”

  


The lunch went well, overall. Luke's younger brothers asked a lot of question to Natasha in the first five minutes, but when they sat down Sara made sure to have them on opposite ends of the table, so that Maria and Natasha could seat opposed to the kids and talk to the only two people who would behave reasonably – ironically enough – around the two former agents.

It was after the meal, when both couples of parents went inside to have a tour of the house and the kids went for a nap, that the questions started again.

Natasha answered to all the missions related ones saying it was classified and to the personal questions with one line sentences.

But it was getting more and more personal and Sara had warned both Alan and Kevin several times, Luke asked them to stop but they wouldn't listen.

They were two overly excited men, asking the heroine of their dreams every question they could think of. The worst part came when they started to ask them about their relationship.

“So, how did this happen?” Alan, the youngest – twenty-five years old – asked, gesturing between Natasha and Maria.

“Well, you know, it just did. We were friends for a long time and then things evolved naturally towards something more” Natasha answered calmly at the umpteenth question.

“Dude, seriously, stop it. That's enough” Luke told him with a tired voice.

He and Sara were usually both really joyful people, but at the moment he felt like it was his fault that Natasha was being bombed with questions, while Sara was still on the verge of starting to yell at her brother again as soon as he made a wrong move.

“But, come on, you were friends with Hawkeye, too. With Iron Man, with Captain America. And they're all superheroes and really good looking guys” Kevin backed his brother up.

Natasha had to refrain from scrunched her face at that. “I don't like where this is going” she forced a laugh, then took a breath. “I'm with Maria because I love her. Not that I have to explain myself, but, I want to be with her. And Maria is a hero, too. The men you named have nothing on her. And as far as looks go, she's the best by far” she turned towards Maria with a one sided smile.

Maria, on her part, was looking a mixture of embarrassed and uncomfortable. She forcefully returned the smile, but something about it didn't sit quite right with Natasha.

“Yes, but, I mean, no offense” Alan said, raising both of his hands. And Natasha braced herself because in her experience, when a white straight male started a sentence with the words 'no offense' it was going to be as offensive as it could get. “They're all _super_ heroes and male, you could have had any of them and-”

“I'm going to stop you right there” Sara warned him, raising a single finger. “If you finish that sentence, I will maim you and I will serve your detached arm at my Wedding.”

Alan froze, he was used to a sweet and sunny Sara. He didn't get what he said that was so offensive right then.

“Alright, I will say this once and then I won't say it again” Sara rose from her seat as both her and Luke's parents returned to the table. “If someone, _anyone_ , has a problem with my sister or her girlfriend, or if you feel like randomly vomiting homophobic slurs out of your mouth – I'm looking at you, Alan – you can get up from this table right now, go home and don't bother come to my wedding, because you are most definitely not welcome there or generally in my presence. Scratch that, I _will_ say this again, if I have to, over and over. If you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me.”

Everybody was silent for a long moment.

Then Maria got up.

They just looked at each other for a long moment, Maria's stare was hard. Sara felt confused.

“I'm refilling the water pitchers” Maria said with a flat tone, got both of them from the table, and then turned around and walked into the house.

“Maria” Sara called after her, a little confused.

“I've got this” Natasha told her, raising up and following her into the house.

Maria was staring at the water filling the pitcher number one intently.

“What was that about?” she asked softly, leaning on the sink counter with her back, while Maria was facing in the other direction, her hands on its edge.

“She's being over-dramatic. I don't need her to protect me, to make a scene about this” she answered, without turning to her, changing the pitcher under the water tab.

“It wasn't just about you, it was about me, too. Your sister is a good person, she loves you and supports you. She doesn't want people to make homophobic comments in front of her gay sister, that's normal. Clint once punched a guy who told me pansexuality is just a fancy way to say you're bisexual, now _that's_ over-dramatic” she smiled at the memory. “Your sister wants you to be yourself, to be comfortable and happy. I think she's the best sister ever, and not just because she said she would marry me if you don't.”

Maria laughed at that, turning off the water. “You heard that, uh?”

“Yes, I'm a spy, you should really start to keep that in mind.”

Maria turned towards her. “Are you sure you don't want to marry an Avenger, instead?”

Natasha made a face at that. “I meant what I said. I want to be with you, Maria. I don't feel that way about any other person, Avenger or not. I just want you” she told her softly.

Maria smiled at her with a spark in her eyes that reminded Natasha of happiness.

“I feel the same way” she said softly, bowing her head to kiss her quickly, tracing her cheek with her fingers lightly. “Come on, let's go back.”

“Are you really sure you want to go back outside? We could, you know” her eyes fell on Maria's lips “go look at some of that pictures you mom gave us.”

Maria smirked. “So this is a thing now, isn't it?”

“I don't know what you're talking about” she smirked back.

Maria was about to retort with a witty comeback, when her cellphone started ringing.

She made a confused face and proceeded to pick it up.

“Hello. Yes, I'm in the kitchen, Luke is here with his family. They're outside, there's just Natasha with me. Alright, wait a second.”

She turned her phone on speaker, angling herself so that she could see outside the window if anybody got up from their seats.

“Alright, you're on speaker.”

“ _Girls, I really need your help_ ” Karen voice made Natasha frown. “ _But please,_ please _, don't tell Elena I asked you because I told her that if she handled the flowers for the ceremony and the tables seats and adorning I could do the Bachelorette party myself._ ”

“We'll tell her we volunteered” Natasha shrugged.

“What can we help you with?” Maria prompted her.

“ _My father's minivan broke down this morning, I don't know where to find another car that fit nine people, so if you could find one, that would be absolutely great_ ” she sounded really nervous and in over her head.

“No problem, I know a guy” Maria answered immediately. “What else?”

“ _One of the best restaurants in the city, which I booked six weeks ago for tonight, suddenly decided not to pass its freacking health inspection yesterday, so it's been shut down for the rest of the week. I have no idea how to find another fancy place on such a short notice and Sara was very adamant about a classy dinner._ ”

“I'll handle that, I have a trick up my sleeve” Maria looked at Natasha and winked.

The redhead raised an eyebrow.

“ _Alright, so I'm picking up the stuff for the cocktails right now, I'll mix them and have them ready for five-ish, that's when you should kinda kidnap her and bring her over, I have her dress and Amy is doing her makeup. Elena told her to be ready around eight, she has no idea. The pre-dinner is going to be a surprise._ ”

“Okay, what about the after dinner?” Natasha asked. “Need us to pick some stuff, some dirty gifts, some sexy games?”

There was a long pause on the phone, while Maria eyed her like she had completely lost her mind, slightly shaking her head and squinting her eyes.

“ _You think she'd like those?_ ”

“No, this is a terrible idea” Maria answered. “Sara's not the type.”

“ _Well, I thought so, too_ ” Karen said hesitantly. “ _But, Natasha does have a point, I thought it was weird not to do anything traditional like that, I mean, it_ is _a Bachelorette party, after all._ ”

“Alright, how about I do some digging and see what she thinks a party like this should entail. She thinks it's all set anyway, right?” Natasha shrugged. “There's no harm in double checking.”

“ _You can manage to do this without her noticing? In less then three hours?_ ” Karen asked, hope clear in her voice.

“Oh, sweet, naive Karen. I got an Asgardian God to tell me his evil plan in three minutes after S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best Agents tried for hours and hours. I think I can handle Sara. What do you have a super spy for?” she said smugly.

Maria rolled her eyes. “She's not going to want any of that, so I'll make a couple calls about the car and the restaurant, then we'll update you, Karen.”

“ _Sounds perfect. Thank you guys, I'm really sorry to ask this of you, but I don't have a car and I still have to pick up Sara's dress. Call me later as soon as you have updates_.”

“Alright, bye” Maria ended the call. “We have to do this in” she looked at the time, it was almost half past two. “Two hours, top. Then we have to fix your hair.”

“What's wrong with my hair?” Natasha looked outraged.

“Your hair is perfect and I love it. But it's like wearing a T-shirt with a red hourglass on the front and the words 'I'm _That_ Black Widow' on the back.”

Natasha sighed, but she couldn't exactly deny it. “I have an emergency kit in one of my suitcases, in case I have to drop off the face of Earth at any given moment. It has one of those Stark Industries super technological wigs.”

Maria opened her mouth to ask how could a wig be high-tec, but they didn't have time to discuss that in that moment.

“Alright, You take Sara, I make the calls. Come down as soon as you're done. If things go FUBAR just shoot my brother in the foot and run.”

“Makes sense, where do I found a gun, though?”

“You'll figure it out. If you can't, just yell our safe word and I'll save your perfect ass.”

They took a moment to just smirk at each other. They missed working together.

Maria raised her fist. Natasha bumped it, then turned around lifting the pitches and heading for the backyard.

Maria watched her go, then went straight for the Basement as she dialed one of her old contacts' numbers.

“Hey, Jones, how are you doing? How are the kids? Oh, I'm fine, back in Chicago, actually. Ah, yes, yes, I'm afraid I do need a favor. No, personal stuff, for my sister's wedding. Ah, I knew you'd be the right person to call for this.”

She gave him the requirements for the car, thanked him over and over and promised to pay him twice for the short notice and give and extra tip to the driver. Then she called her favorite restaurant in town, it was classy but not overly fancy, so if some of them got there drunk Maria could tip a waitress to close an eye. The fact that she personally knew the owner was a big advantage, too, since it was with such short notice.

She had to throw around the words “S.H.I.E.L.D.'s former second in command” a couple of times, but in the end she managed to convince them to get her a table. 

She closed the call and sighed, bumping her fist in the air slightly. Her negotiation voice could still work wonders, she was very proud of that.

She was just about to go back up to the table, when the door opened.

“So, Sara offered to cut the cake your mom made, I offered to help her and we talked in the kitchen privately, me, her and Elena. I'm officially here to drag you off your work call and bring you back for dessert” Natasha informed her with skilled neutrality.

“And unofficially?” Maria was dying to tell her 'I told you so' because nobody knew her sister like she did.

Natasha's expression was still neutral for a couple of seconds, then a smiled appeared on her face and she shook her head.

“Oh, how little do you know your sister, Hill. She wants it all. The pranks, the games, the gifts. I swear to Thor, Elena's having an internal panic attack right now.”

Maria sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands.

“Alright, here's what we're going to do. Work emergency, we have to leave for an hour. I fixed the car and dinner problems. We're going to find a place that sells that sort of stuff. Put on a cap and sunglasses, I'll wait for you upstairs and I'm gonna keep Elena from flipping out. Be quick.”

She wasn't even finished talking when she bolted out the room.

As soon as she was upstairs, her sister framed her.

“We have a problem” she told her nervously. “Natasha was making conversation saying that she doesn't know what to expect tonight and Karen said it was a surprise as well, so she asked her what she imagined it to be and what she wanted it to be like and” she took a deep, calming breath only after saying all that in a rush. “We need to tell Karen to get some kinkier stuff, because, well, Sara's not going to be happy with the drinks and dinner thing she has coming her way.”

“Okay, Elena, breath. We're going to pick up some stuff right now, Natasha told me already. Don't worry, alright? We'll fix everything. You just keep her distracted and we'll be back in an hour or so to get ready. You just hold the fort and be dressed by five.”

Her sister paused and eyed her cautiously.

“Just like that. You're going to take care of everything.”

Maria furrowed her eyebrows. “Well, yes. I'm used to be in charge.”

Elena hugged her. For a really long time. “I'm so used to stressing out and fix everyone's problems, and Karen said she was going to take care of this, and I have to go over the seats for the wedding with Sara and Luke for the millionth time and I'm just so glad you're helping.”

Maria gently patted her on the back.

“You were there when I couldn't be, you came here a whole week before me, so I'll do what I can to help, now that I'm home.”

“I'm ready” Natasha told her, coming up from the basement. “I made a mental list of everything we need. I'll text it to you, in case we need to split, but I'm confident I can manage this” she said, while typing into her phone. “You only have to drive us there.”

Maria paused. “Right. Just drive us...there.”

Natasha eyed her curiously. Then she raised both her eyebrows. “Really? You don't know where we can find a sexy shop in all of Chicago, Maria?”

She grimaced. “Elena?” she turned to her sister for advice.

Elena was looking anywhere but at them. “I have no idea, no idea whatsoever” she crossed her arms, then uncrossed it again. “No clue at all of where a place like that might be” she faked a frown of deep thought, while tapping her chin with her index finger and shaking her head, still avoiding their gazes. “But, just randomly, try the corner between Twenty-fifth and Clinton Avenue. You might see a big, black door with silver lion-shaped knockers, it doesn't look like a sexy shop but just _might_ happen to be the best one in town.”

Maria and Natasha stared at her for a very long moment.

“Just randomly you could try, but maybe there isn't, your guess is just as good as mine” she laughed nervously.

“Right” Maria whispered, nodding slowly. “We will, uhm, randomly try that road.”

They turned around, but Elena's voice stopped them.

“Wait, wait!” she got closer and put a hand on Maria's arm, looking around and lowering her voice to a whisper that the two of them barely heard. “If you _do_ go there, you might want to buzz on the intercom and ask for a girl named Crystal. Just in case you two want to get something extra for yourselves” she gestured between the two of them and smirked a little. “Lucy told me she was the best, she found her and Maddie just the right thing to make them reconnect and take their relationship to a next level kind of thing. She also got me and Phil a couple things that” she laughed and then whistled, nodding her head in an impressed way. “She knows her way around.”

“Who are you” Maria said, stressing every word. “And what have you done to my prude and shy sister?”

“Crystal, got it” Natasha didn't flinch. “Thank you, Elena, we'll update you soon.”

Maria felt like she should say something but the words escaped her. She just shrugged, going for the backdoor.

“Hey, I'm sorry” she got everybody's attention on her, while Elena returned to her seat and Natasha stayed by her side. “Work emergency, we need to leave for a commission. We'll be back as soon as we can.”

“Stark Industries has an emergency?” Sara asked, skeptic.

“It's another type of emergency” Natasha stepped in.

“We can't tell you more, it's classified. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s very strict on that. So, be right back” Maria nodded quickly and turned around before someone could answer.

“Be safe” she heard her dad call.

They were out the door and into the car in record time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, I love you. Let me know what you thought in the comments!
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	7. Thursday (part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bachelorette party doesn't go quite as planned. Maria gets bad news. Everything gets messed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to everybody who reads, comments and to those who sent me messages about this story, I love you guys!

They got to the shop in twenty minutes, despite it being a thirty-five minutes drive. Natasha didn't even flinch at the speed Maria was driving, she was so skilled behind the wheel it barely felt like they were actually above speed limit.

“So, you seem pretty familiar with sexy shops” Maria said casually while parking the car.

Natasha smirked at her. “I've been to a couple, mainly for work related equipment.”

Maria paused while exiting the car and turned back to look incredulously at the redhead.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Let's just say some of my targets had been known to enjoy some extreme stuff. It made it easy, really” she told her, after Maria rounded the car and joined her on the sidewalk. “Once they were tied I didn't even have to reach the foreplay part before starting to question them.”

Maria snorted, while pressing the button on the intercom of the door her sister had described. They only had to wait a second or two before a male voice answered.

“ _Hello?_ ”

“Yes, hi. We were told to come here and ask for a woman named Crystal” Maria said in her formal voice. Natasha barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

“ _Are you two cops or something?_ ”

They looked at each other. Maria frowned.

“It's your military poise, if there's a camera they can see how uptight you look” Natasha told her, gesturing to her up and down. She neared the speaker as Maria stared at her with offense written all over her face. “Hi, my girlfriend and I were given the advice to come here. As clients. And ask for this girl who seems to work wonders. Our friends Lucy and Maddie said we should give this a shot, see if Maria here can loosen up a bit” Natasha smirked, turning to Maria to wink at her.

“ _Alright, I'm buzzing you in, you guys definitely need Crystal._ ”

Maria scoffed incredulously, but followed Natasha in.

“You're paying for this, Romanoff” she said with a low voice.

Natasha turned and smirked at her. “Is that a promise?”

Maria grabbed her arm, stopped her and then leaned in, whispering in her ear. “And, trust me, it's not a promise I need any of the stuff on that list of yours to fulfill.”

Then, leaving a stunned Natasha on the spot, she went past her and headed to the counter of the store.

“Hi, I'm Crystal, how can I help you today?”

“Hi” Maria smiled at her kindly. “We're throwing a Bachelorette party and we'd like a little help to pick out some things.”

“Ah” she smiled and nodded. “Did you already have something in mind or should I just display the classics?”

“Actually, my girlfriend made a list” she took out her phone but she couldn't even open the aforementioned text that Natasha reached the counter as well.

“There's no need, love, I've got it memorized” she turned to the girl in front of them. “We'd like some presents, like sexy dices, fluffy handcuffs, that sort of thing, maybe if you could wrap them in a peculiar paper it would be amazing, so she can unwrap them. Then we're going to need some of that pranks stuff for the evening, like those cute little bouncing penis-shaped ears so she can walk down the street in those.”

“Oh, those are hilarious” Crystal agreed. “If I may, would you like a vibrator to put under her chair when she seats down on a bar or restaurant if you planned that?”

“My God, yes! Sara's going to laugh so much at that” Natasha said, snorting.

“Wait, Sara Hill? You're throwing her Bachelorette party? I thought Karen was doing that, she told me she wasn't going to buy anything from here.”

“You know Sara?” Maria asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I'm a friend of hers and Karen, and Sara's sister comes by every once in a while.”

“Sara's sister comes by” Natasha repeated, turning to Maria, trying to hide her smile.

Maria ignored her. “I'm her sister, actually. Her other sister. Maria” she extended a hand to the girl in front of her. “So wait, you'll be there tonight? Why didn't Elena just call you to ask you to bring some stuff?”

“No, I'm not _that_ good of a friend” she laughed. “More like, a friend's friend of Karen” both of them noticed a little bitterness in the pronunciation of the name “or something like that. So, anything else you need?” she turned to Natasha.

She thought about it for a moment. “How large is the largest pack of condoms you sell?”

Maria was making the connection. This girl was probably Karen's ex, she met Sara and she sent Elena to the sex shop, so that was how she knew about the place. It made sense.

“One-hundred, it's on discount, fifty percent off.”

“Yes, please wrap that, too” she nodded. “And a couple more pranks, your best selling will do just fine.”

“Coming right up, give me a couple minutes” she told them, then wandering off to get them all the stuff they asked for.

“So, what are you wearing tonight?” Natasha turned towards her, leaning one elbow on the counter and smirking.

Maria shrugged, knowing she was trying to provide a distraction for her over-analyzing brain. “Why?”

“I have to make sure we don't clash, you were the one who said that.”

“Right” she laughed. “You have that blue dress, the one I love?”

“Of course I do, you always stare at my ass when I wear that, I always carry that around.”

Maria dropped her gaze and tried to contain her smile, a little ashamed at being caught. “That would be perfect.”

“Alright, and for the wedding?”

“I don't know, I'll wear a light blue dress, probably.”

“Okay, then I should go for the red one.”

Crystal came back after a few moments, carrying all the items they asked for. She started wrapping them and Maria looked at the time. They had barely the time to drive back, change and then leave again if they wanted to be at Karen's by five.

She paid with her credit card, picked everything up and thanked Crystal.

They were going to make it.

  


Well. They were going to make it, barely.

The traffic was a lot worse going back, but they got home just in time.

Natasha slipped into her dress and claimed the bathroom first, where she took her time doing her make up. When she got out, she realized the reason Maria asked her to put on that dress was because it was perfectly matched with Maria's own light blue shirt. She was wearing a light gray two pieces suit with it.

Natasha was staring, she did realize that. She just didn't know how to make it stop.

“Are you done in the bathroom? I have to do my make up, too” Maria said, turning towards her. Then she saw her in that dress she loved. “Woah, you look stunning, Nat. And the hair looks gorgeous” the wig Natasha was wearing was short and blonde, it framed her face beautifully.

“You” she started, then stopped and nodded. “That's new. It brings out your eyes, you're really breathtaking.”

“Thank you” she smiled. “Elena asked me to wear something like this, so she can wear a black skirt suit, because she hates dresses.”

“Remind me to thank her, then” Natasha whispered, still a little stunned.

Maria laughed, entering the bathroom.

“Speaking of Elena, can you go make sure she's ready? And the two of you can go and force Sara out of her room, the car will be here any minute now. I'll be really quick, I'll see you upstairs in a few minutes.”

Natasha nodded, still watching her as she walked towards her and then past her and into the bathroom.

“Hill?”

“Yeah?” Maria turned around just after crossing the threshold.

Natasha grabbed the collar of her shirt with both hands, got up on her tiptoes and kissed her once on the lips, lingering only a few seconds.

“I'm sorry, you have my lipstick on your face now.”

“Don't be sorry” Maria told her with a little smile. She bowed her head and kissed her again. “We're going to be late, come on.”

Natasha nodded, then let her go and left the room, because she knew that if she looked back she wouldn't be able to look away again.

  


She and Elena had just managed to get Sara to go downstairs with them, when they heard Maria's voice on the stairs to the basement.

“This is the first time I hear something like this, I don't know what to think.” There was a long pause after that. “Phil, I can't deal with this right now” her voice trembled a little. “No, I get it, it's classified, I won't say a word. It wouldn't make a difference anyway, right?” she sounded a little sarcastic saying that. “I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Bye.”

They saw her emerging from the stairs just as they reached the bottom, too.

“Are you alright?” Natasha asked immediately, seeing her serious face and sad eyes.

Maria took a deep breath, raising her eyes from the phone and putting it away on her pocket, then nodded. “I'm good, it was just an old friend warning me about some stuff. So, are you ready?” she asked Sara, faking a smile.

“No, I'm not. That's the whole point, Elena said you're kidnapping me or something.”

“Right” Maria faked a laugh. “Come on, I think I heard the car came in the driveway, let's go.”

She leaded the way to the front door, keeping it open for them. Natasha paused, taking her hand, but Maria wouldn't meet her eyes.

“Can you grab the bag in my car and put it in the trunk?” she asked, still looking down.

Something was very, very off.

“Sure. Wait, is _that_ our car? You got a limo?”

“Yep” Maria nodded.

“Oh my God!” Sara squealed a little. “You guys are the best! Let's go” she said, getting into the car, as Natasha took the bag from Maria's car.

“Who was on the phone?” the redhead asked after Elena got in, too.

“It was Phil” she only said that. “Coulson. It wasn't official, we're friends so he was giving me a heads up.”

“On what?” she opened the trunk and put the bag from the shop inside the limo.

“It's classified. I can't tell you, and you'll know soon enough anyway” she got into the car, too, cutting off their conversation.

Natasha was left a little struck for a moment, then she sighed and got in as well.

  


After that, Maria went back to normal. Or so it would seem to an untrained eye, because Natasha was acutely aware of the periodic slight clenching of her jaw, of the almost undetectable twitch on her nostrils that she did at least twice every ten minutes, of the way she had to scratch the base of her neck with a single finger every time she didn't agree with something said by someone she couldn't argue with. She did that with former Director Fury, with former Director Coulson, with Iron man and Thor – four of the most powerful men Maria ever had to reprimand – and with her sister's friends. Which was not only odd but also unsettling in an impending diplomatic incident kind of way.

Natasha wasn't loving it. Not one bit.

But once they got to Karen's house, met with the others and started doing her makeup, unwrapping gifts, joking around, it was too late to say something. They both got caught up, Maria helping Elena and Karen with the drinks and Natasha talking to Sara, who kept bringing her into every other conversation.

Even when Emily, one of the other girls, asked when was the moment she knew Luke was the one, Sara dodged the question by saying she didn't know and asking when Natasha knew instead. She was taken aback and paused just enough for Maria to enter the room with a pitcher of Sex on The Beach, Elena and Karen bringing glasses.

“Oh, I know. We were at the baseball field.”

“You realized you loved Natasha in a baseball field?” Sara asked, puzzled.

“No, I meant you, dummy” Maria said, pouring them drinks and laughing at her sister. “We went there in the afternoon on Christmas Eve three, maybe four, years ago, and you two were still just friends back then. When we got there we were talking and we reached the fence, he turned around and he saw us, he smiled and waved, just that, a simple smile and wave. You froze, you got a little pale and for a second you went” she feigned a stiffen posture and slightly bulgy eyes “ _oh_ ” she returned to her natural posture. “And I knew you finally got what the rest of the world had known for a long while already.”

“I remember that day” Sara smiled and nodded. “You're probably right, you know? I never thought about it being more than a crush until then.”

“Yeah, I get how that can happen” Maria told her, her jaw clenching, her nostrils quacking, her voice trembling in the slightest at the end.

Just then, the cocktail on the pitcher finished while Maria was still filling the sixth glass.

“I'll help you refill it” Natasha offered, getting up.

Maria paused, took a long but subtle breath. “Come on” she gestured with her head towards the kitchen.

“You know that poem? Not with a bang but with a whimper?” she asked while they walked to the other room.

“It's about the end of the world, Nat.”

“Yeah, well, it was with a big, huge bang, for me. The moment I knew.”

“Oh” they both turned towards the door frame, to see Sara and Elena standing there. “I want to hear this story with all of my heart, now” Sara said with a raised eyebrow.

Maria looked back at Natasha, then at them again. “Why are you here?”

“We wanted to help with the other glasses and cocktails” Elena shrugged. “Looks like we got here just in time to snoop a little.”

“Please, don't let our presence be in the way of your romantic speech, we'll be on our way” Sara told them, nudging Elena through the door and closing it behind them.

“They're probably eavesdropping behind the door” Maria whispered and grimaced.

“It wasn't you just smiling and waving, nothing like that. The moment I went 'oh, this is not a crush anymore'. I will admit I ignored that information for quite some time without ever processing it, because for how good I am at reading others, I sure suck at my own emotions.”

Maria snorted. “Nat, you don't need to say this” she said quietly, sweetly and a little sadly.

“It was one of our last missions together, after S.H.I.E.L.D. already fell. An inhuman had us convinced one of the agents on our team would have died that day. And we just brushed it off and went on with the mission. We were almost out.”

The smile on Maria's face had slowly faded, because she knew what mission Natasha was referring to, it had been a couple years earlier. And it had been a blood bath.

“The hydra sniper” Maria whispered.

“You died in my arms. You were dead, you died that day, Maria. He shot me and instead of firing back you just pushed me out of the way and stopped a bullet with your shoulder. How was that a good idea?” she shook her head and sighed sarcastically. “I started panicking, I caught you and lied you down and you looked right at me. Not a tear in your eyes, not a moment of doubt, of regret, of weakness, of fear. You told me” she stopped, looking up to willing away the feeling that memory brought back every time. “Stop that nonsense, Romanoff” she made an impression of Maria's voice, not a very good one, for a super spy. “Then you raised your good hand and just touched my cheek, like looking into my eyes was the most important thing you could have done with your final breath. I burned your skin with an overheated knife to stop you from bleeding out, you barely even flinched.”

Honestly, to Maria, it was. It wasn't such a bad way to go, it was kind of how she wished she could fall eventually. Staring in the eyes that meant the world to her, pushing through the pain and the fear, to drown every bad emotion in a see of green hope and peace.

“And you said” she recalled. “You said 'If it had to be one of my agents, tonight, I'm just really happy it wasn't you' and that was it” she scoffed and shook her head again. “You flat lined and died in my arms. I did the cardiac massage for three minutes. Next thing I know, one of our paramedics, they just got there one second before, he shoved me out of the way and put a portable defibrillator on your chest. I didn't know I was holding my breath until you started breathing again, and I started breathing, too. You came back to life and I came back, too. And that was it. That was the moment I went _oh_.”

Maria looked at her for a long moment, almost deciding to tell her about her conversation with Coulson, about how she thought Natasha was going to leave her, about the fact that Bruce Banner, the missing Avenger, came back and asked to see her, telling everybody that they were involved and he would only talk to her.

She opened her mouth, but the door burst open.

“You _died_? Like, really, actually, _died_?” Sara was almost in tears.

Elena was just as shocked. “You ruined their moment, what did I tell you about being very quiet if we listened?” she whispered hurriedly.

“It's alright” Natasha reassured them. “I was done” she faked a smile.

“What happened to the sniper?” Elena asked, a little uneasy.

“Oh, I” Natasha cleared her voice and avoided their stares. “I shot him in the head, he was dead before Maria hit the ground.”

Maria's arms were around her before she could say another word. 

She returned the hug, hiding her face in the brunette's neck. A second later, Elena and Sara were hugging them both, too.

“Okay, stop that, go away” Maria told them playfully after a minute.

They laughed and detached themselves, going towards the other room, chatting about something, while they stayed like that a little longer.

Natasha felt, more than heard, Maria laughing after several seconds. She leaned back to look in her eyes. Maria, despite her teary eyes, was smirking.

“I loved you first” she said, shrugging. “Not with a bang, but with a whimper.”

Natasha hugged her again.

  


The night went on, they arrived at the restaurant and Sara was pleasantly surprised to find it was their family's favorite. Since Maria left Chicago it had gotten kind of a big and fancy place, so they didn't go as often, but they both adored it as kids, it was nice they were able to book a table for her party.

Maria chatted with the owners a bit, then they sat down and quickly placed their orders.

Sara started chatting with Emily and Elena about something wedding related, while the other girls Natasha met that night, Christine, Rose and Jessie, were discussing what they should do after dinner.

That was when Karen casually turned to Natasha and Maria and asked them the question they had been dreading since the beginning of their plan.

“So, how did you two get together?” she said with a polite smile on her face.

Natasha smiled back and started to tell the story they agreed on. Working for S.H.I.E.L.D. together, being friends, eventually falling in love. Their first date, their first kiss, but that was pretty much all they had planned to tell. But Karen kept asking and asking until everyone was pretty much intently listening to Natasha.

She was scary good, Maria noted, as she always was when on a mission.

She had to remind herself, once again, that it was all there was to them. A mission, to Natasha. A way to spend some time away from home. And the things she said and was saying were just a way to preserve their cover story.

Elena, sensing the question were getting more and more personal and they were starting to sound more like an inquisition than actual conversation, casually changed the topic so they started talking about the wedding and Sara again, as it should have been.

They just finished eating, when Maria's phone started buzzing. She looked at the number of the incoming call, frowning to herself.

“I've got to take this, I'll be right back” she whispered to Natasha, then slid off her seat and towards the restaurant's front door.

It was Pepper, calling to ask how she was doing. Maria was surprised she knew too, and when she pointed that out, Pepper explained all the Avengers knew, so all their significant others knew, too. The topic of Banner going back to New York had literally spread like wildfire and Clint had probably already arranged for Natasha to meet with them as soon as she was back.

Maria was hearing it all in a catatonic state. She couldn't for the life of her, process the fact that Natasha hadn't told her she was involved with him. But he came back claiming he would only talk to Natasha because of their not otherwise specified romantic relationship. He just told everyone to back off and stay away from his current confinement unit until they could find Natasha to help with his recently developed control issues.

When Phil had told her, the world had crumbled under her feet and the sky had trembled upon her head.

Natasha was involved with Banner.

Of course, it made sense. It explained a lot. Why she was the only one who could calm him, who could hold him back. It made sense because Natasha never seemed interested in anyone romantically, so maybe she really was already involved with someone else. It strangely fit, the idea that the reason Natasha, who had always been concealing feelings, was starting to show a lot more of them lately, was that she was developing undeniable feelings for someone.

When she asked Pepper why she had really called, the answer was that since Maria's coming out, she had been thinking a lot and, in retrospective, it was clear that she had feelings for the redhead, that she always had.

“It's weirdly obvious, thinking about it now.”

Maria just sighed. “We're just faking it. We're spies, lying is what we do best.”

Especially, even though Maria didn't say it out loud, they were exceptionally good at lying to themselves.

That was how she found herself sitting on the roof alone, staring at the moon and wishing things were different and wishing she had been braver before.

She heard the door close and turned around to the roof entrance. Karen moved towards her and sat down next to her on the only bench.

“You're not supposed to be here. Not that it has ever stopped you before.”

Maria smiled, but she could see it was forced.

“How did you find me?”

“Are you kidding me? You always used to come up here when we ate in this restaurant. You came here on your eighteenth birthday, you came here when you first told me you loved me, when you fought with Sara that time you were fourteen, when you decided to come out to your parents, when you told me you were leaving to join the military. The list goes on and on.”

Maria took a deep breath. “There is a nice view, isn't there?” she whispered, looking out towards the night sky and Chicago's buildings lights.

“Want to talk about it? The thing that is upsetting you?” Karen asked, not fooled for a second.

“I'm not upset.”

“Wow, I'm impressed. They really did teach you how to lie, turned you into a super spy and all that. You used to be so bad, your hands got sweaty, your lip twitched. I knew all your tellings and now you don't have any.”

“Then how did you know?” Maria raised an eyebrow.

“Because of this place. Like I said, you came here when something was on your mind.”

Maria sighed and looked down, shrugging a little.

“This guy came back to New York. A friend of mine called to tell me he's been asking to see Natasha” she laughed a little bitterly. “She never said anything about him. I mean, even before we were together, I was her best friend, at least I thought so. But she never told me they had history, why wouldn't she?”

“It must have been either really minor or really major. Something not even worth mentioning or a pretty big heartbreak.”

“That's what I thought” Maria nodded, still looking at the ground. “But then I asked myself, if it was _that_ minor why is he coming back after _years_ asking only for her?”

“Maybe he's just a creepy, clingy guy” Karen told her. “Hey” her voice got softer as she gently laid a hand on Maria's knee. “If you're afraid she's going to leave you, don't be. Natasha loves you, even _I_ can see that. You guys are talking marriage and kids, she's not gonna bail as soon as an ex shows up. Give her more credit than that.”

Maria wanted to tell her why she was so afraid, but she couldn't. Because that would entail admitting that she showed up with a fake date to her sister's wedding, so she just nodded and sighed again, faking a smile and finally looking up at Karen.

“You're right. I just have to trust her.”

Karen smiled and nodded, patting her knee before lifting her hand. They both stayed silent for a long moment.

“Was I really that bad at lying?” Maria asked with a tiny laugh.

“Well, it's not that you were bad. I mean, you _were_ bad. You were awful when you tried. But it was because you never did it, so when you lied it didn't come naturally. You were the most honest kid in the world. It all changed suddenly, didn't it? And it was my fault.”

“No it wasn't. Not really. I got quieter and shyer when I realized I was gay, I became more introvert and if I spoke up it was to deliver a sassy one liner. My attitude changed long before we broke up, Karen.”

“I know. I knew you and I loved you for the way you were, still are. But after the way we broke up, you changed. I can't say I really know you, anymore. But I know what Sara tells me and for a long time, your softer side was gone. You were always honest to the people you loved, you always spoke your mind, you always stood up for yourself and others and for your ideals. You stood up.”

“Sara told you about last night” Maria understood immediately where she was going with that speech. “About my fight with Rob.”

“I can't believe he never told them. I always assumed Sara just never talked about it because she didn't want to pick a side. She was really mad, screamed at me for hours on the phone all night, I'm standing here with three hours of sleep, so” she laughed and shrugged.

“Sorry about that” Maria grimaced.

“No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it all came out again.”

Maria shrugged. “It really was Rob's fault. I didn't stand up to him because I didn't want to hear the things I knew he would say. I didn't need to win that fight, because it doesn't matter what he thinks, he doesn't matter anything anymore, not to me.”

“He's your brother” Karen told her, frowning.

“No” Maria replied decisively. “He's not. He's just some guy who's there at family dinners, but he's not my family.”

“This is what I meant, Maria. The old you, that honest kid I remember, would have poured her heart out to her brother and got him to understand her and understand that being gay isn't a choice, but being an asshole is. She would've stood up and told him everything she could to change his mind and even if she would have probably failed, she would've been proud of herself for trying, without being scared of rejection. She would have stood up. And she would've told her girlfriend 'hey, don't go back to your ex, he's a jerk and I love you the most'.”

“It's not that I've changed, my point of view changed. I stand up for bigger stuff” Maria told her quietly, shrugging.

“You should start standing up for yourself again, at least every once in a while. Pour your heart out, get hurt again, take that leap. That kid, used to get hurt ninety-nine times out of one-hundred. But she always kept trying, because when she succeeded, it was always worth the heartbreak.”

Maria thought about her words for a long while, encouraged by Karen's soft smile.

She was right. Maria never took personal risks anymore. She'd been in love with her best friend for almost a decade without telling her, for Thor's sake. She'd always been guarded, even more so since she was in S.H.I.E.L.D., but maybe Karen was right. Maybe, for once, she could have tried to just say to Natasha how she felt, took a leap, and hoped she felt the same.

“You're right. I should do that.”

Karen smile widened. “I'm glad to hear that.”

Maria hesitated for a long moment. “Can I ask you something weird? You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”

Karen sighed. “It's about Robbie, isn't it?”

“Why him? I just don't get it. I tried to think of a million different reasons, but they all seem so unfitting” she studied Karen's expression as she stared into the night.

“He felt familiar.”

Maria grimaced. “Familiar?”

Karen sigh had a note of desperation, like she wished she could avoid her answer. But she knew she owed Maria that much.

“I know you hate him, but you're a lot alike. You left me, and I was frantic and restless. I went there, he told me Sara left for the weekend. We talked and he came onto me. And it was your house, and I used to know it like the back of my hand. Your smell was still everywhere and when he turned around to take a drink from the fridge, I remember thinking, he could be you. The height was similar, you weren't as fit as you are now, so he was close to how you were. You had short hair and his looked just like yours. They way he walked and moved, crossed his arms or laughed. Your hands and your nose, he has those, too. He could have been you, but I didn't want it to be you. You left me and he was there, to remind me of what I'd lost.”

“But I didn't leave you” Maria told her, frowning and shaking her head. “I never broke up with you, I never wanted for things to go that way.”

“But the way you told me you were leaving, Maria” she laughed nervously. “We were sitting right here, remember? And something in your eyes told me you weren't coming back for me.”

“I was” Maria told her softly, so much she almost missed it. “I was coming back for you. I came to Chicago before leaving, to tell you I made a plan. Things were going good at the academy, I was confident I could have made a career in the army, I could have applied for a desk job here in Chicago, we could have made it work.”

Karen's eyes were a little teary, but she smiled. “The desk job would have killed you” she joked, laughing, but it was forced.

“True. But I would have done it. It's killing me now, so it was just a matter of time I guess” she joked back, a lump in her throat that she couldn't explain. “I'm sorry I made you feel like I was leaving you.”

“I'm sorry I cheated on you. I'm sorry I messed everything up.”

“I forgive you, I forgave you a long time ago, I guess.”

Karen hugged her then, maybe a little caught up in thoughts of what might have been but could never become. She hugged her tightly, like she used to, and then kissed her on the cheek, lingering for way longer than what would be considered appropriate.

The heard a sound from the door, but when they turned it was unmoving.

“We should go back” Karen told her.

Maria shrugged it off and nodded, getting up and gesturing for her to lead the way. Karen smiled and complied.

  


The rest of the night went on pretty quickly, they went to a bar, had a couple of drinks, Emily, Christine, Jessi and Rose made Sara hit on strangers and entertained her with a couple of games they looked up on the internet. When they were the right amount of drunk, Maria decided it was best to get everyone home. Natasha had been a little distant for the rest of the evening, but Maria didn't think much of it.

The limousine driver accompanied each of them at their addresses, dropping the Hill's off for last, Maria tipped him largely and then proceeded to take her drunk sister up to her room. After safely getting her into bed, she went down to the basement.

Natasha was already changed into her sleeping attire and coming out of the bathroom as she closed the door behind herself.

She took a deep breath, deciding she had to take Karen's advice and pour her heart out a little. It was right then or never at all.

“So, there's something I wanted to talk to you about” she started, nervous but a little hopeful despite herself.

“There's no need to” Natasha's voice was neutral, almost cold. She passed her by without even meeting her eyes.

Maria froze. She felt confused and her heart dropped at the tone in her voice.

“I know what you're going to say, Maria. It's alright, we're on the same page. I don't need a reminder about how this is all fake and we're doing this so your family won't snoop in your love life. Because this is what you wanted to tell me, right?” Natasha prompted her, stopping and turning around to look at her, as she moved the covers on her side of the bed. “That we're best friends and nothing more and that we should keep that in mind” she slowly nodded. If she was trying to convince Maria or herself, she didn't know.

“You already know” Maria whispered without meaning to.

“Of course I know, I'm a super spy, you keep forgetting I have this tendency to read people well and find things out briefly after they occur.”

“Right.” Maria tried to swallow the lump in her throat unsuccessfully. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you before you found out.”

“You didn't really have a chance, we were never alone.”

“Right” Maria said again.

“Look, it's not a big deal. I'll stay if you want me to and when we get back things will go back to how they were before we left.”

“Right” she nodded, incapable of saying anything else.

She took off her blazer, throwing it on the armchair. She remembered finding Natasha sitting there Tuesday morning after a nightmare. Her mind got lost on the moments they shared, how Natasha kissed her and told her it wasn't an act, or when they played with the kids, when Natasha told her the moment she knew she loved her. But none of it was real. Or maybe it was, but it didn't matter, because Banner was back.

And she didn't matter anymore.

“Right” she whispered to herself once more, heading for the bathroom.

She took her time to change and get ready for bed, hoping Natasha would be asleep when she came back into the room.

She put her hands on the sink, sighed deeply and looked up into the mirror. 

“ _Life taught me early and thoroughly what it was like not to be loved back, but it only recently taught me that if your love is big enough – then it doesn't matter if you're not loved back, it's worth it anyway. So thank you for that._ ”

She thought back to that sentence she said while Natasha was asleep.

It was still true. It was truer than ever, actually. It was still worth it, she was still her best friend, so Maria was going to protect her and help her in every way she could. She was going to choke down her feelings – since she was really good at that – and help Natasha through what was bound to be a pretty rough couple of days they were going to have once they got back. She was going to be there and be happy for them.

Because, in the end, seeing her happy was going to be worth it.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty chapter is angsty. I spent a month on this chapter because I couldn't, for the life of me, write the bachelorette party parts. So it got less space than it should have had, I'm sorry if you wanted more of Crystal and more of the party, it just didn't come to me. I hope this isn't a disappointment, but I wanted to focus on the main couple because it really was the thing making more sense to me.
> 
> Any critics are welcomed (especially since I'm so insecure about this)!
> 
> I'm already working on the next chapter so it'll be up soon and possibly battle the worst villain of fanfictions: miscommunication.
> 
> Come chat with me on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/) about  
> this amazing pair!  
> 


	8. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk, because they are still super spies: they were bound to figure out something was wrong pretty quickly.

Maria woke up on Friday morning to the annoying buzzing of her phone. It wasn't her alarm, because she turned it off. But someone kept calling her again and again.

It was almost eight, Natasha was still asleep by her side. She looked at the screen of her phone to see four missed calls. She started to get up, just as Natasha stirred beside her.

“What time is it, where are you going?”

“It's early, before eight. You can go back to sleep if you want to.”

Natasha nodded and turned on her side, closing her eyes again.

Maria grabbed her working out clothes and went to the bathroom to change. Then, she left the house with her headphones and she returned the calls as she went for her morning run.

Coulson was calling to update her, he talked to Clint and arranged for the Widow to meet the Hulk in his containment unit on Monday. She pointed out she wasn't even a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, certainty not his superior, so he didn't need to update her. He made a joke about thankfulness and they said their goodbyes.

Then she called Pepper, who kept her on the phone for thirty minutes to talk about feelings and honesty and Maria was exactly one condescending comment away from faking her own death and never returning to New York City. She finally managed to get off the phone on her way back, listening to both Steve's and Tony's voice messages saying they couldn't get in contact with Natasha and to call them back.

She was about to call one of them, when she reached the house. She shrugged, mentally noting that she should call them later, before taking off her headphones and getting to the backyard for the second part of her working out.

When she got to her room and headed for the shower, Natasha was still asleep. They came home well past three the night before, so Maria had four hours of sleep and could perfectly understand how Natasha didn't feel like getting up, yet.

When she got out, Natasha was just stretching, clearly she had just got up and changed.

“My phone's dead” she said out loud, while she connected it to the charger.

“Oh, I forgot” Maria remembered right then. “Both Tony and Steve left me voice messages, saying they tried to call you but couldn't reach you.”

Natasha frowned deeply. “Did something happen?”

Maria's eyes got slightly bigger and she laughed a little ironically. “Funny.”

Natasha's frown only got deeper. She was about to speak, when a knock on the door distracted them.

“Come in” Maria said.

Sara busted in, closing the door, waving at them and hopping on the bed.

“Good morning” Natasha told her with a smile.

Sara grunted. “I need your help, seat” she gestured to the bed, next to herself, where she was half lying, her feet on the floor, but her upper half down.

They exchanged a look, then did as told.

“I need help with my vows” she said, her eyes closed, while she massaged her forehead.

“Your _wedding vows_?” Maria asked, incredulously. “The ones you told me you were writing Monday when I called and again Tuesday morning and the ones you told me you finished Wednesday before dinner?”

“I never said I finished them, I said I was almost done” she corrected her. “Maria, please, I'm too hungover to deal with your lecture.”

“Let's hear what you have” Natasha proposed.

Sara sighed, lifting the papers in her left hand. She cleared her voice. “I love Luke very much and that is why I am marrying him.”

She lowered them again. Maria raised an eyebrow.

“That's all, that's your entire speech?”

“For now. But you're going to help me, right?” she asked hopefully. “You two are so sickeningly in love that surely you can come up with something romantic to say.”

Maria felt bitterness in her mouth. Before she could control them, words started coming out of her own mouth.

“You should ask Natasha, she's great with feelings, she's especially good at sharing with her best friend.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes at her. “Oh, I think you should help her, instead. You're so in love just as your sister said.”

Maria scoffed. Really? She was making fun of her unrequited feelings?

Sara got up in a sitting position, then paused.

“Too quick, I might have to vomit” she said in a whisper, then raised her voice. “Are you guys fighting? What happened?”

“Nothing, we're not fighting” Maria said quickly. “Look, Sara, it has to come from you. Just write some crap about falling in love with your best friend and you're all set.”

“But everybody says that, because how can you marry someone who's not your best friend?” she pointed out, a little desperately. “This is so hard” she complained.

“Maybe, yes, everybody marries _a_ friend. Someone they have intimacy with. But you're not doing that. You're marrying your _best_ friend, Sara. There's nothing better than that” Maria told her with a soft smile. “You're marrying the person who was there when you graduated college, but was also there when you ended up in a hospital because you slipped on the stairs. He was there in the biggest moments of your life, good and bad. But” she smiled a little wider. “He was also there when you finished your first videogame, you called me to tell me and I just didn't get why you were so excited, but he did. He tries french food and puts on makeup indifferently to help with your articles, because he doesn't think makeup should be just for women – do you know how rare it is to find a guy who's so confident in his sexuality and masculinity to be able to shrug that off? He's amazing and you know that, he's your soulmate in a lot of deep and meaningful ways. But he's also the one who would challenge you to see which one of you catches the most fries with their mouth.”

Sara laughed at that, despite her teary eyes. Natasha was serious, her face unreadable.

“So, marry your best friend” Maria said, simply. “Marry the person who will hold you when you have a nightmare, the person who will get up at seven to run with you, the person who would watch baking shows with you while drinking cheep beer” her voice was soft and her eyes distant.

Sara had the acute impression she wasn't talking about herself and Luke anymore. After a long moment, Maria continued, quietly. She was staring ahead, her smile was gone.

“The person whom you will love for the rest of your life” she whispered distantly. “It makes sense that it's going to be both, doesn't it? The person who comes into the shower fully dressed to hold you when you're having a panic attack and the person who will get you into a flour fight while you're baking pizza.”

She blinked and took a deep breath and turned towards Sara again, smile returning to her face, more than a little forced. She swallowed, trying to make the lump in her throat go away.

“Luke is your best friend. He's the right person. So just say that.”

Sara was looking at her like she had never seen her before. And maybe she never had, not like that, not in a really long time.

“Thank you, Maria. I will” she hugged tightly, then got up and left, after smiling to Natasha quickly and waving at them.

After the door closed, Maria released a breath, her shoulders lowered.

“You're really good at this faking thing. They should have made you Director years ago” Natasha said coldly.

Maria sighed and shook her head, turning towards her. “What the hell are you talking about? That wasn't a lie. That's what I think.”

“I was that person, Maria” she said a little harsher. “I was there during panic attacks and I was the one starting flour fights” she laughed bitterly, getting up and turning around so she didn't have to face Maria. “It was me.”

In that moment, when her blank mask fell, Maria could see something was up. Something that didn't even seem to be Banner related.

“You still are, Nat. You're my best friend. And you know how I feel about you, I'm sorry but I can't take that back. I won't” she said, decisively. “You changed your mind, I respect that and I'll support you, but I can't go back to pretend I don't think you're the one for me.”

Natasha turned around, frowning and shaking her head slightly.

“What are you talking about, changing my mind? You're the one who keeps changing her mind, you're saying I'm the one for you when twelve hours ago you were making out with your ex girlfriend” she said a little more bitterly than intended.

Maria was taken aback by her words. She got up and faced her.

“What? Natasha, I didn't kiss Karen. I don't know who told you that, but-”

“I saw it, Maria. I came looking for you, and I saw you on the roof.”

She frowned. “She kissed my cheek. Nothing else happened. We were talking about how scared I am to lose you” she retorted. “We talked and got some closure, she said some stuff I'm honestly not even okay with, and kissed my cheek. That was it. I'd never do something like that, Natasha, I've told you I want to be with you.”

She stepped forward and took both of the redhead's hands in her own, trying to convey all the honesty in her words. Maria got how hurt she was, it wasn't easy for her to open up, but she did it with Maria, she took a chance and she thought Maria just went and betrayed her like that. She would do anything to prove to her that wasn't the case.

Natasha seemed to calm down at her gesture and she looked like she was replaying in her mind the scene she saw. Then she looked up at her again.

“But, if nothing happened, when I told you I knew already, what did you think I was talking about? You apologized for not telling me, I thought you meant the kiss.”

Maria shook her head. “I was talking about the Banner thing.”

She frowned. “What does Bruce have to do with this?” she asked, frowning, the confusion she felt was evident in her voice.

Maria froze. “You still don't know?” then she realized it. “Of course you don't, your phone died. Didn't you hear from Clint last night?”

“He called when we were out, but we just got to the restaurant, so I didn't pick up.”

“Why didn't you call him back?”

She shrugged. “What was I going to say to him? 'Hey, thank you very much, I took your advice, I told her how I felt and she went and kissed her ex'?”

Maria's hold on her hands tighten. “I didn't-”

“I know that now” Natasha sighed. “But I didn't last night.”

“He wasn't calling about that. He was calling, well, for the same reason Tony and Steve are trying to. I'm not supposed to tell you, it's classified and all that. But I'm going to, anyway.”

Natasha couldn't help but smirk. “Commander Hill disobeying orders. I never thought I'd live to see this day.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “You may want to sit down” she said seriously, nodding to the bed.

“Did something happen to Clint or Laura or the kids?”

“Nothing like that” Maria told her as they sat down once again. She took a deep breath. “Banner came back to New York.”

She waited for a reaction that never came. Natasha made a hand gesture as if prompting her to keep going. Maria raised an eyebrow.

“You don't have anything to say about this?” she asked with just a tiny anxious note in her voice.

Natasha frowned. “Not really?” she shrugged, not knowing what to say. “I mean, I'm happy to hear he's okay, but what does this have to do with me, why is everyone calling me about this?”

Maria was confused to say the least.

“Because you were involved with him.”

“ _I beg your pardon?_ ” she sounded incredulous.

“He told everyone you two had a thing before he left and he will only talk to you about his new anger management problems and to decide his new role in the Avengers and in S.H.I.E.L.D. in general. They were all really surprised, but you're very private and he's been away for years, so it was plausible. Phil was baffled, he called me off the record to warn me.”

“Why warn you?”

“Because he knew I had feelings for you since we all worked together. Pepper apparently figured it out to, it keeps eluding me how.”

They were both silent for several seconds.

“That idiot” she said in a whisper. “We never had a thing” she clarified. “I kind of” she rolled her eyes. “I tried to sleep with him after Wanda got into my head, I was fragile and he was there and the fact that he rejected me was the best thing that could have happened. I wasn't lucid, I was messed up and he was just decent enough not to take advantage of that.”

“He seems to think there was more to it than that.”

“I helped him return human. I can't think of anything else we ever shared, to be honest. But I also helped Clint, when Loki turned him, I helped him return to himself, too. Anyone would have done that, right?”

“He doesn't see it this way, I guess. He thinks there's something between the two of you.”

“But there isn't, Mia” she said softly. “We never even kissed” she paused. “You thought I was saying all that because I wanted to go back to him, didn't you?”

“Yeah, I figured you just picked him. I was going to give you this speech about how I was going to be there for you regardless, that I'd love you no matter what. I know I'm never articulate with my feelings, you saw how I didn't even respond to my mother on the whole marriage and kids stuff, or how I avoided confrontation with my brother until he pushed so far it was unavoidable. But when you talked about how you knew your feelings were changing, I wanted to tell you that I could pinpoint the _second_ I went from loving you to being in love with you, I just knew” she looked down for a second, then back up at her. “I wanted you to know I was going to support your decision and stand by your side, as your best friend or as you girlfriend, it's up to you. But I want to be with you, I want you to know that you mean the world to me, I know I don't say it enough, but I try to show you any way I can.”

“I know, Maria. I see that. You always make me feel like the most special person in the world” she smiled sweetly and gently caressed her cheek. “And it's not like I talk about my feelings a lot, but I did it with you because I trust you, because I felt like it was important for you to know. There are a lot of things I'm not ready to talk about and I know it's the same for you. We don't need to rush things, to talk about everything in this moment. It'll come to us naturally, as our friendship did, as our kiss did, as everything else has.”

Maria leaned a little into Natasha's touch, smiling back.

“You're right.”

“I'll always be here to listen, tho. Whatever you want to tell me, Mia.”

She nodded, a one sided smile still in place. “Thank you. Although, I sort of already gave my speech away” she grimaced a little.

“You didn't need a speech, anyway” the redhead laughed a little. “I'm right where I want to be and I'm not going to leave.”

Maria's smile got bigger, she felt a surge of happiness. “You sure?”

“I am. I want to be with you” Natasha said, leaving no place for doubt.

Maria didn't wait for anything else to be said, she moved forward and captured Natasha's lips in a sweet but firm kiss.

When she backed away Natasha placed a hand on her cheek, bringing her in again. She kissed her fiercely, choosing to show her instead of telling her that she was one hundred percent sincere.

Maria was initially taken aback, but quickly adjusted to the passionate kiss. She grasped the redhead's hips and kissed her back. Natasha, encouraged by the gesture, shifted her weight and moved to straddle her.

Maria hugged her closer, her finger grazing the skin of her hips lightly, while one of Natasha's hands scraped the base of her neck tenderly. She tilted her head up to deepen the kiss even more and her nails dug a little into the flesh under them.

Natasha's hands pushed on her shoulders, so she backed off, thinking she did something wrong, but she kept the pressure until Maria was lying on her back, then she kissed her again. One of her hands grasped Natasha's hair, the other held her hip tighter. As their kiss heated, she felt Natasha's hand make her way from her shoulder to her stomach, scratching on her path just hard enough that Maria would feel it. Once she reached the hem of the shirt, her hand moved underneath it and made its way back up slowly.

Maria broke the kiss, slightly pulling on Natasha's hair.

“You truly are obsessed with my abs” she breathed heavily. She brought Natasha down to kiss her again, firmly and quickly.

“I may be, are you complaining?” her voice was breathy and low, and her question was followed by her nails scraping Maria's skin downwards, until she reached the hem of her jeans.

“Not at all” her answer was a little too rushed, as she moved her hands to frame Natasha's face in order to kiss her again, but the redhead moved back, forcing Maria to get up a little to reach her.

Her plot was clear, as the new awkward angle forced her to flex her abdominal muscles. Natasha was an evil genius.

She laid back again, bringing Natasha with her. They resumed kissing and Natasha's hand started to get higher again, when they heard someone knock on the door.

They both sighed, then laughed as their eyes met.

Natasha got off of her and she sat up again, just in time for Sara to storm in.

“Alright, so this is what I've got for now” she started, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of the two of them. She clicked her tongue, clearing her voice. “You two were, uh” she sighed. “Looking at pictures. And I interrupted. Again.”

“Well, we told you we'd help” Natasha told her. “So, read us what you wrote.”

“Alright, I'll try to be quick. So...”

  


Sara and Maria kept working on the vows for another hour, while Natasha, feeling unhelpful, just sat on the bed and resumed looking at the photo album Barbara gave her.

It was almost lunch time when Elena knocked on the already opened door, catching the attention of all of them.

“Hey, so Luke just called and told me he wants to come by to review some of the places at the tables. I said no because it's bad luck, so you and I will have to take care of it” she told Sara.

“No, we can't, I have to go check on the restaurant.”

“Maria and I can go check it for you” Natasha proposed.

“Oh, but we had to watch the kids” Maria pointed out. “We could bring them with us if it's alright?” she looked at Elena.

“Sure. Take dad, too. Mom is stressing about literally everything and taking it out on him. She ironed his bow tie and yelled at him for being too calm.”

“Done and done” Maria nodded.

“Wait, why do we have to look at the seats again?” Sara asked.

Elena averted her eyes. “He wants to make a couple of changes.”

Sara just raised an eyebrow at her.

“He wants to move his brothers to table three.”

“Why? They're at table two like all the other- oh.”

“What?” Maria asked, confused.

“He doesn't want them sitting with my siblings. Each table has eight seats, but table two was supposed to have nine, so Elena, Phil, the kids, you two, Rob and Luke's brothers could all seat there. Apparently he wants to move them to table three, so someone will have to move to table two” Sara explained.

“Well then, make it a seven seats table” Maria shrugged.

“But that would make number three a ten seats one. We have to move one person from table three up and another down. It's the only way. And we will have to move over one by one a guest at each table, it will take all afternoon” Sara grunted, covering her face with her hands.

“We'll figure it out” Elena said, smiling. “There's actually only two options, two single guests from table three who could fill an empty spot in table two.”

Sara nodded, very aware. “One is Karen. The other one is” she sheepishly looked at Maria. “The other one is Mark Jefferson.”

“Oh, hell no” Maria whispered. “Somebody else but them, anybody.”

“It's obviously going to be Karen” Sara warned her.

Natasha saw something pass by on Maria's eyes.

“Could you excuse us for just one minute” Natasha smiled at them, getting up and waiting for Maria to do the same, before leading her to the bathroom and closing the door behind her. “So” she whispered. “Choose quickly, which one? Five seconds.”

“What? Why?”

“Three.”

“Fine” Maria whispered back just as quietly. She made a face and sighed. “If I had to” she grimaced and huffed. “God I can't believe I'm saying this. Mark.”

“Alright, I'm going to make Sara change her mind, but you have to follow my lead” she whispered again, hurriedly.

Maria nodded.

“Are you kidding me, she kissed you, Maria!” she said in a loud tone.

Maria's eyes went wide. “On the cheek” she answered the first thing that came to mind.

“Oh, for God's sake, she clearly has feelings for you! She was all over you when I walked in.”

“That is largely inaccurate” she protested weakly.

“You know I'm right. Just tell Sara she made a move and have that other guy on our table.”

“Oh, that's a bad argument” Maria whispered, so only Natasha would hear. “He's Luke's and Rob's friend, he used to constantly hit on me when we were younger.”

“Well, then why did you pick him?” Natasha whispered back, frowning.

“Because she grossed me out so badly, yesterday” she said, in a normal tone.

“Yeah, you looked really grossed out” she said loudly enough for Elena and Sara to hear, eying Maria skeptically.

“No, I swear, she said some stuff so messed up, I didn't tell her how I felt but it's just because I never open up, you know that” she said a little loud again, caught up in the argument. “Nat, believe me, her reasons for sleeping with Rob were disgusting, I was two sentences away from throwing up.”

“Well then just tell your sister to move Karen the hell away. If she kisses you again you're sleeping on your own couch for a month.”

“Ah! Joke's on you, you're always saying that my couch is really comfy.”

“You're bed is comfier and I'll be sleeping in it. Alone.”

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds and Maria gave her a “not bad” look, regarding their little act. She then proceeded to open the door and step out, followed by Natasha.

“We talked and” she cleared her voice “if it's not an inconvenience for you, we would like Mark to sit at our table.”

Sara and Elena were both staring at them with wide eyes and slightly opened mouths.

“No problem at all.”

“Great. Let's go have lunch so we can get to work right after” Maria said with a tight smile. “I'm sure everything will go smoothly.”

  


Maria realized she was dead wrong when, walking into the hall that was supposed to host the lunch, she saw no tables. There were two very large boxes, one with the upper part and one with all the legs.

“They're...disassembled” Maria hopelessly pointed out.

“Oh, Gosh” her father sighed beside her.

Natasha scanned the room, locating a smaller box with tools and the screws for the tables. She looked at Maria. They were really simple to assemble, it looked like they were made to be transported often, so they were easily put together and disassembled as well. The brunette nodded briefly.

“Call Sara and tell her everything is fine, dad. We got this. Don't tell her what we found, for the love of God don't let mom know.”

She and Natasha marched to the largest box, lifting the first table top and positioning it on the ground bottom up. They then positioned another one and took four legs each, the necessary screws and started assembling the first two tables. Once the legs where in place, they shook them to see if they were stable, then they flipped the first table together, carrying it to the empty side of the room, then doing the same with the second one.

“We want to help” Jenny screamed excitedly, bouncing up and down.

“Yeah, this looks like fun” Kyle said a lot less enthusiastically.

Maria and Natasha exchanged a look, knowing that keeping them occupied would be for the best, so they flipped two other tops, carrying the legs to each of them.

“Alright, Kyle why don't you hold the leg up while Jenny get the screws in? Don't worry if you're not strong enough, alright? I'll tighten them before flipping it, but you'll save us a lot of work” Maria instructed them.

They nodded and got to working with the third screwdriver, as Maria and Natasha got two other tables done they did one themselves, they quickly tightened the screws, checked the stability, then flipped it and brought it to the other side of the room with the others.

“So, do you know how phones do this thing where you can send a picture at someone while you're calling them?” Carl asked, returning from his call.

“Oh, no” Maria paused. “They're coming, aren't they?” she grimaced.

“Worse. They're sending in the chivalry.”

Maria snorted. “I wish. But I bet that means something very different for you” she whispered.

“They're sending Rob, Phil and Barbara.”

“Ugh. We need to finish before they get here. Dad, please, double check if the tables are stable while we put them up.”

He nodded and went to take care of that.

They got back to work as Natasha dialed a number, Maria raised an eyebrow, but she just shrugged and kept working.

“Hey Elena” she said into the phone. “Mind sending me a picture of the position you want the tables in? Thank you, see you later.”

“You're always one step ahead” Maria smirked while she hung up the phone.

Natasha winked, getting back up after finishing table number seven.

“We're done, too!” Jenny announced excitedly.

They kept assembling the tables, occasionally stopping to adjust them to the plan Elena sent them, while Carl double checked and brought the chairs to each table.

By the time Phil, Rob and Barbara got there, they were working on the last table, the kids and Carl were starting to put the tablecloths on them. As they walked in they saw Maria and Natasha laughing on the floor, while working on the last leg of the last table.

Maria was leaning on her left elbow as she was working on the table with her right hand, her leg stretched. Natasha was sitting with her legs crossed, watching her closely.

“My wrist hurts like hell.”

“Want me to kiss it better?” Natasha offered without missing a beat.

Maria started laughing again and Natasha was just about to make good on her offer, when she saw the others had actually came to help.

Maria followed her gaze, she finished quickly and then got up, checking the legs so they wouldn't be wobbly.

“Hey, thanks for coming, but we're actually done.”

Phil looked around. “But Elena showed me a picture, it was all empty. How did you assemble twenty tables in an hour?”

Maria shrugged. “The catering is actually going to take care of the rest, so we're all done. You can throw away the empty boxes, tho, if you want to help.”

She and Natasha brought the table over where her father and the kids already gathered the last chairs.

“I'll call your sister and tell her not to sue the guys who were supposed to both transport and assemble the tables, then” Barbara told them with a smile.

“And the Black Widow saved the day again, God forbid we got to land a hand” Rob said with a fake smile.

Maria walked past him, hitting his shoulder with her own. Hard. He turned into the motion, as she turned back to face him, too.

“If you want to say something else to me, go ahead. But if you bring her in on this, you just might get the reaction you were so adamant about. And a broken jaw to go with that” she said in a cold whisper. Then she turned around again and kept walking.

Natasha waited for Carl, the kids and Phil to follow Barbara outside, then she stopped next to Rob, putting a hand on his arm to keep him behind.

“If you want to say something else to her, _don't_. Or you will get something far worse than a broken jaw” her voice was flat, but something in her blank face made her even scarier.

“Please” he scoffed, even if he flinched hard when Natasha's grip on his forearm tightened. “You're here acting like the perfect girlfriend, you're not going to punch me.”

“You're absolutely right, I'm not going to punch you. But I _do_ know fourteen really funny ways to kill you and make it look like and accident. And I like number eight _so much_.”

She smiled at him gently and then walked away.

Nobody figured out why he looked so spooked for the rest of the day.

  


Natasha was sitting on one of the couches, still going throw the album Barbara had given her, as Maria made her way back downstairs, collapsing next to her after the effort of putting the kids to bed.

“I'm exhausted.”

“Let's go to bed, then. Long day tomorrow.”

They were about to rose up when Sara and Elena entered the room whispering quietly. They stopped abruptly when they saw the two of them sitting on the couch. 

“Oh, hi. We thought you were downstairs.”

“No, I just put the kids to bed” Maria told her. “We were about to head down now.”

Sara looked at Elena and then sighed.

“So, we actually wanted to talk to you about something. We spent all afternoon looking at the tables but we couldn't find a solution and Luke sounded very adamant about not keeping the sits as they are.”

“Okay” Maria said slowly. “So?”

“So” Elena cleared her voice. “The only way to keep the numbers right is if we simply switch two people from table three to table two. And the only ones we can move are...”

“Both Karen and Mark” Natasha supplied.

“Yeah” Sara said in a whimper. “Is that alright?”

“It has to be” Maria said, turning to Natasha. “The wedding's tomorrow, there's no other way, is there?”

“Not that we could find. But there's going to be both of them _and_ Rob at your table. We're just a little worried that things might get...”

“Messy” Elena finished for her.

“Come on, you know I won't make a scene” Maria laughed drily.

“I might” Sara sighed again.

“It's her that I'm worried about” Elena agreed, crossing her arms. “You two are in perfect control of your reactions, you can handle three idiots. Sara can't. The nicest person on Earth is literally one homophobic comment away from punching someone, the stress of the wedding and of this entire week is weighing in.”

“Well, then we'll make sure you don't” Natasha smiled at her, trying to calm her.

“Thank you, girls. You've really been helpful these past few days and today especially. And thanks for being fine with this.”

“No problem” Maria told her, raising and going in for a hug. “Just promise you won't make a scene on my behalf because, if you do, I'll kick your ass.”

Sara returned the hug. “No, you won't. You'd never ruin my dress.”

Maria laughed a little, backing off. “Let's all go to bed, now. It's going to be a really long day tomorrow, and I'm worn out.”

Natasha rose up and took her hand, allowing Maria to lead her to the stairs and towards the basement.

“I'm really glad this day is finally over” Maria said, throwing herself on the bed.

Natasha sat the album down on her nightstand and then laid down next to Maria, resting her temple on Maria's left shoulder, as the brunette hugged her around the shoulders to bring her closer. She felt herself relaxing and gently kissed her on the forehead.

“Thanks for being here. I know I've said it a million times, but I couldn't have done this without you.”

“I'm happy to be here with you, to be honest. And your family is awesome, I like your sisters and I love the kids.”

“I'm glad” she smiled wildly, kissing her again.

Natasha rose her chin up to look Maria in the eyes, smiling up at her.

Maria felt a weird urge she had never quite felt before, the need to tell Natasha everything she was thinking and feeling. She found herself not only able to share, but aching to do so. She wish she could tell her every word she held back and give her every kiss she never had. She wanted to tell her that if she only ever opened up to one person in her whole life, than she wanted it to be her. She felt so in love and so brave, Natasha made her fearless.

“Want to look at some pictures?” Natasha whispered to her and smirked.

Maria was just about to ask why did she want to pick back up the photo album she had just put down, but then the expression on her face caught up to her and she realized what the real meaning was.

She laughed a little and bent down slightly to kiss her on the lips.

Natasha turned a little to move on top of her as one of her hands caressed Maria's cheek. The kiss was roughly interrupted by Maria, who suddenly stood up. Natasha watched in confusion as she went to the door and turned the key to make sure no one could bother them or burst in. then she turned again, standing still and looking at Natasha for a split second, before walking back to her an laying on top of the redhead, supporting herself on one hand and going back in for another kiss.

Natasha eagerly kissed her back, both her hands went to her hips to hold her down and bring her closer. Their kiss heated up quickly, Maria's hand that wasn't supporting her weight went to Natasha's waist, slipping under her shirt and sliding it up slightly.

She didn't want to rush things, but she was desperate to feel closer to the woman beneath her. The rest of the world disappeared as Natasha's left hand caressed her cheek and then touched her hair with a tenderness that almost startled her.

They parted and looked at each other for a moment, reading each others thought in a way they perfected over the years as best friends and that was, in that moment, more powerful than ever before.

Natasha guided Maria's shirt off and the brunette proceeded to do the same. She saw Natasha's eyes flicker down, towards her own body, then back up. Her brows furrowed a bit.

“I'm not insecure if that's what you're thinking” she said in a calm and even voice.

Maria was even more puzzled.

“It's just that- some people find scars unattractive.”

Just like that, her confusion was gone. “I think every inch of your skin tells a story I'm highly interested in learning. And I also happen to think scars are really hot.”

She took her time to trace every scar with the tip of her fingers and then with her lips, leaving kisses above every mark, stopping only to whisper little reminders to herself or Natasha about the origin of some of the scars, the ones she knew or patched up herself.

“Yours is the body of a warrior. Of a hero. It tells a thousand stories, the most beautiful ones I've ever heard, Nat” she told her as she finished kissing her arms, looking her in the eyes again. “You're a masterpiece. I can only hope I'm lucky enough to have the chance to keep looking at you.”

Natasha was not insecure, not by any means. She liked herself and her body – she still wore bikinis despite what she told Steve, actually – and if someone else didn't it was their damn problem. But she valued Maria's opinion and she'd lie if she said she didn't want Maria to be attracted to her. Of course, Maria had, as usually, exceeded all her expectations and made her feel not only wanted, but loved.

She took her face in her hand, kissing her once again, pouring her heart into that kiss. With a swift movement she turned them, straddling Maria and undoing the button of her jeans. She was contemplating moving to take them off, but then decided against it in order to move her hands up Maria's torso, feeling the smoothness and delineated shape of her stomach.

Maria tried her best not to smirk, but failed epically.

“I know, I know. This is my secret pleasure.”

Maria got up in a sitting position, taking Natasha's face in her hands.

“It's not so secret anymore, sweetheart.”

They kissed again, slowly and passionately. Maria's hands moved from her cheeks to her back, tracing a lazy pattern and stopping above the curve of her waist.

“And as for the pleasure part” she whispered lowly, leaning in so that her lips were barely brushing against Natasha's ear. “I haven't even started yet.”

She shivered a little and sighed softly. Then she kissed Maria again, with no trace of doubt or uncertainty in her actions.

The rest of the world, Maria's family, everything that came up that week and had been stressing them out, it was all gone as they lost themselves in each other, over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to talk, vent, complain, joke around, tell me what you're feeling, come talk to me on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/).
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought.
> 
> I love you all!


	9. Saturday (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They manage to make the wedding happen. Then things go sideways in a way they didn't see coming.

Natasha felt herself starting to wake up to the sound of Maria's phone's alarm, so she decided to turn her face further into the pillow. A cold sensation on her left shoulder blade rose up to her neck and she realized Maria was waking up too and was fighting the alarm by hiding her cold nose in the crock of Natasha's neck.

A small smile played on her lips as she backed further into her arms.

Maria's cold nose was almost instantly replaced by her warm lips as she traced a line on her skin from her neck back to her shoulder.

She turned around to look at her and as soon as she met the sleepy but peaceful eyes of the woman lying next to her, a surge of happiness spread in her chest. She moved forward to kiss her briefly on the lips.

“Hi” came a sleepy greeting.

Natasha's smile widened. “Hi yourself” she pressed another kiss to her lips, distractedly caressing her cheek with her fingers. “Your nose is so cold.”

“No it's not. You're just too hot.”

Natasha snorted and moved even closer. “We should probably get up” she murmured as she went in for yet another kiss.

“Probably, yeah” Maria agreed, returning the kiss eagerly and slipping on top of Natasha.

The alarm went off again, making both of them sigh.

“You know, we don't want to be late” Natasha whispered, keeping up the kissing part and distracting Maria to a point where she didn't see what Natasha was implying just yet.

“Yeah, Sara would kill us.”

“Right. So we should go shower immediately. Together, obviously, to save precious time.”

Maria was still processing her words when she opened her eyes again only to see Natasha getting up and walking naked towards the bathroom. And was that a vision.

“That's the only ecologically wise thing to do” she agreed, getting up, too.

  


They got ready together, Maria wearing her light blue dress as Natasha wore a deep red one. They weren't matching but they weren't clashing either. Natasha was quite happy with the result.

They went upstairs at half past nine, they were suppose to leave for the ceremony at ten o'clock, so it wasn't late. But they just set foot on the ground floor when Elena spotted them.

“Thank God you're ready, I need you to talk to Sara, she's having half a meltdown” she told Natasha, rolling her eyes. “She loved that dress more than Luke yesterday and now, all of a sudden, she _absolutely_ _can't_ get married in that. Would you please talk to her?”

“Sure, I'll try” she said uncertainly and looked at Maria.

“I'll come with.”

“Actually” Elena grimaced. “Mom and dad are having an argument. I'd calm them down myself but I've got to dress the kids.”

“I'll dress the kids” Maria said quickly, then gave her sister a sheepish smile.

“Fine. But just because you did a great job saving Karen's ass with the Limo and the restaurant and all the pranks and presents the other night.”

Maria smirked. “Thank you, good luck.”

They moved towards the stairs, but Elena called for them again.

“Wait, wait. I forgot to ask, did the two of you, uhm” she glanced around, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Talk to Crystal?” she raised a suggestive eyebrow. “You know, for the two of you? Found something to” she cleared her throat “make pictures more interesting?”

“Elena, I _will_ kill you” Maria answered, her expression unreadable.

“I'm just saying, a little photoshopping never hurt anyone.”

“This metaphor is getting away from you” Maria raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Your sister doesn't need photoshop. She doesn't even need a fancy filter, hell, no filter at all. She's _that_ good” was all Natasha whispered back, before casually walking away and going straight for the stairs to the upper floor.

Maria's cheeks felt on fire. She hoped it wasn't showing, but she felt herself blushing really hard and averted her gaze.

“Well, well, well. Always the shyest ones” Elena barely refrained from smirking.

“I'll...go get the kids ready. If you ever bring this up again, I'll fake my own death and never come back.”

“Because that's not an overreaction at all” Elena murmured, watching her go.

  


Natasha knocked on the door twice and heard a muffled voice telling her to go away. She got in anyway and shut the door behind her.

“Hey” she said softly to Sara, sitting on the bed in her own room. She slowly approached her and sat down beside her. “How are you doing?”

“This dress is horrible.”

“The dress is perfect.”

“Well, you did help with it and you're a superhero” Sara said in an unconvinced tone, her eyes cast downwards and her shoulders slumped.

“What's the matter?”

“Everything is going the wrong way. Mom and dad are arguing about some stupid Italian tradition, the kids aren't ready and they have to bring the rings. Maria and Rob still aren't talking to each other, you're mad at Karen and you haven't even met Mark, who's _way_ worse. And I don't care if he's Rob's and Luke's buddy, I'm going to punch him if he says some stupid crap and I'm going to ruin this wedding.”

“Well, the wedding – _your_ wedding, Sara – won't even happen if you don't get over all this nonsense and actually get your eyes dry and your make up on” Natasha told her softly. “Look, Maria's getting the kids ready and Elena is helping your parents come to a compromise. Maria and Rob might not be talking but at least they won't make a scene, Maria wouldn't allow it. And about this Mark guy, it's true, I haven't met him. But I will make sure he stays out of your way, I promise you. But let's analyze a worse case scenario for a second. He does make a stupid comment and you actually end up punching him at your own wedding. Do you have any idea how _rad_ that is?”

Sara actually snorted, then sniffed. “Coming from you, that's rich.”

“I'm serious! When you're fifty and you're sharing stories with your friends, they're going to tell the same story over and over. But then you're gonna go: 'At _my_ wedding, I punched a homophobe for talking shit about my sister and my sister's girlfriend cheered so loudly, everybody started laughing. It was _so_ freaking awesome'. Your kids would _dig_ this.”

Sara laughed, relaxing. “I have a problem with this story.”

“I can land punch number two if you let me.”

“No, I think the poor guy's ego will be wounded enough” Sara smirked. “But when I'm fifty and I tell this story to my friends or kids, I really hope I'm telling them that my sister in law or auntie Nat was the one laughing.”

Natasha was taken aback. Then she smiled. 

“Between you and me” she tried not to look too happy to hear those words from Sara. “I really hope you do, too.”

  


After speaking to Sara, Natasha went to see how Maria was doing with the kids in the attic. When she was in front of the door she heard Jenny's joyful laugh and opened the door quietly, trying not to interrupt their moment.

“When will you come back?” Kyle was asking.

“I don't know, honey” Maria said, fixing his little bow tie. “Here in Chicago, I guess for Christmas and we'll see each other then for sure. I don't know if I'll be able to visit before then.”

“Will you call us on the computer?” Jenny asked from the bed.

“Of course, I do every week.”

“Will Nat call, too?” Kyle asked. “Will she come back for Christmas?”

Maria paused, then finished fixing his jacket.

“That's up to her, sweetheart. I'll ask her, and if she wants to, she will come back.”

Natasha knocked on the door and opened it wider, stepping inside.

“Sara is almost ready, are you good to go?” she asked with a smile.

Jenny jumped off the bed and almost ran towards her, raising her arms in the air so Natasha would lift her up, which she did as soon as she was on arm length.

“Nat, are you coming back to see us again?” she asked instantly.

“I am, of course I am.”

“Really?” she asked, excitedly.

“Really.”

“Do you promise?” she raised her little hand and offered Natasha her pinkie.

“I promise” Natasha didn't flinch, she took the pinkie with her own and tugged it. “Are we ready to go?” she asked again.

“Almost” Maria answered clearing her voice. “I just have to brush their hair and we're all set.”

“I can do my own” Kyle jogged to the mirror and picked up a hairbrush.

“What about you, do you want me to braid your hair?” Natasha asked Jenny sweetly.

“Oh, no, we're not allowed anymore” Maria said, getting up from the bed she was sitting on and walking towards them. “Not since a couple years ago when this tiny bundle of chaos decided to pick up scissors and cut her hair of at the base of her tress.”

Natasha turned to Jenny with a surprised smile. She looked at her sheepishly.

“I was little and I didn't know mom wouldn't let me keep it that way. How was I supposed to know that hair grows back?”

“That is” Natasha frowned. “An excellent point, actually.”

“That's why Elena won't cut her hair again, to teach her a lesson about not following rules” Maria said, not impressed by the fake innocent look her niece was sporting.

“What if I tie it up in a way it doesn't go in front of your eyes but you can't cut off?” Natasha asked the girl still in her arms.

“You can do that?” she asked skeptically.

“I sure can. Your auntie Maria always used to wear it that way on her job. Now she lets it lose. I think she's outstandingly gorgeous either way” her eyes met Maria's briefly.

“Yes, I want hair like auntie Maria's!” Jenny said enthusiastically, bouncing up and down on Natasha's hip.

“That's great, but we'll have to do it on the car, because Sara's going to kill me if we're not ready as soon as she is” Maria smirked, turning towards her nephew and offering her hand for him to hold as they went downstairs.

When they got on the ground floor Natasha put Jenny down and Maria let go of Kyle's hand as they both went to see what was happening by the front door. The two women were close behind them.

“No, it has to be two unmarried women, they have to hold it up and you have to cut it with a pair of scissors” Elena was explaining from outside the door to Sara.

“And mom won't let me out unless I do this.”

“She will tackle you, if you try. She argued with dad the whole morning about this, apparently it was really important in her family. It's a tradition and you have to do it before exiting the house and before exiting the church.”

“Well, alright then. Give me the scissors and let's get it over with so we can go.”

“They argued about it because” Elena sighed. “We need two nubile women.”

Sara turned around to gesture towards the two women standing behind her.

“Well, that's perfect, because we actually have two nubile women” she pointed out, noticing only after speaking that Natasha was looking down and Maria was avoiding her eyes. “You're not technically nubile, you're a widow, I'm an idiot” Sara whispered at the realization that Natasha actually used to be married.

“Well, if we're speaking legally, Natalia Romanova was married and widowed, whilst Natasha never was. But I don't think you can cheat tradition, it was still me after all” the redhead replied, lifting her gaze with a little sad smile.

Maria's hand was immediately on her lower back, in a gesture meant to be both discreet and comforting.

“Yeah...that's why I called Karen.”

Sara spun around. “You did _what_?” she hissed.

“Before you get mad, there was no other way to make mom and dad stop arguing” Elena said defensively. “Now, stay inside the house, I'm going to grab a pair of scissors and a ribbon. Maria, I'm begging you, do not let her cross that threshold in that dress if you want to see this wedding happen today” she preyed her sister before disappearing in the other room.

Maria sighed and got to the front door with Natasha by her side, urging the kids out and then planting herself between Sara and the door.

“We're going to be late, if you just let me out mom won't be able to do anything about it and we'll have to go” Sara complained.

“You heard Elena, mom will tackle you if you try” Maria crossed her arms.

“Do you know what this tradition symbolizes?” Natasha inquired.

Sara shrugged and shook her head.

“Yes and it's actually pretty interesting” Maria chimed in. “She's supposed to cut two ribbons, one exiting her parent's house and one exiting the church, the first one must be held up by two unmarried women and it symbolizes the end of the bride's life as a nubile woman, while the second one must be held up by two married women to indicate the beginning of the married life, as she exits the curch. Italian tradition is full of things like this one, they're quite interesting. Well, not to Sara, it seems” she pointed out.

“Well, since apparently you're getting married, too, you can enact all these tradition when you do” Sara teased her.

“You're getting _what_?”

Maria spoon around to see Barbara and Carl had approached them coming from the backyard so they didn't see them coming.

“Oh, you got engaged?” Barbara gushed.

“No, no” Maria said raising both ends to pause things. “We're not engaged, Sara meant in an hypothetical future, many years from now, maybe, possibly. But not in the foreseeable future, definitely not right now.”

Natasha hummed and crossed her arms at Maria's reluctance. The small sound was enough to make her turn slightly towards her. She swallowed hard, well aware that whatever she was going to say in that moment was just going to make things worse.

“Well, alright, as long as you two are happy and keep loving each other” Barbara told her with a smile, gently patting her cheek and smiling at Natasha warmly.

Elena returned with the ribbon and at the same time Karen's car parked on the side of the road in front of their house. 

“Great, let's get this over with” Sara said eagerly. “Hand me the scissors.”

“Alright, I'm taking a picture, mom and dad can you stand on Sara's sides? Maria come here, on the left and Karen on the right. Here, hold this up” she said, giving them each an end of the white ribbon.

“Well, you should be in the picture, too” Karen pointed out. “You and Phil can stand behind your mother and Robbie can stand behind your father, while the kids pose in front of them. We can all fit” she pointed out.

“I'll take the picture” Natasha volunteered.

Elena paused. Maria felt the urge to say something snappy to Karen's obvious try to take a picture with all of them except for Natasha. But Sara made an impatient sound and urged Elena to get behind the threshold.

Natasha gave them directions so that they would all fit perfectly and took the picture with Elena's phone. Sara was holding the scissors already and made the cut immediately after Natasha took the photo.

They all quickly scattered, trying to decide who should ride in which car. Natasha, after handing Elena's phone back to her, headed for Maria's car. But Karen preceded her there.

“Nice hair, by the way” Karen told her, standing in front of the passenger door of Maria's car. “Is it a wig?”

“Yes, I don't want someone to recognize me. This day should be about Sara.”

“I agree, we wouldn't want someone being scared of you ruining the wedding” Karen replied in an unmistakeably fake, sweet tone.

Natasha kept looking at her, a slow one sided smile formed on her lips, her eyes still stern yet a little amused.

“This is not your place” she said in a neutral voice.

Karen scoffed. “It's not yours either. I'm Sara's best friend, Elena's friend and Carl and Barbara” she pronounced the name in the way Maria had told her not to, Natasha noted “used to love me. The only place you'll ever have in this family, is the one behind the camera” she snapped.

Natasha didn't flinch. “I meant in front of the door” she pointed out, opening it and making it collide with Karen's side. “I merely tried to say you're standing in my way.”

Karen made a confuse face and stepped back. Maria caught up to them in that moment.

“So, Rob is going with Karen, so that Elena and Phil can take their own car with my parents and we're taking the kids. Ready to go?” her hand landed on Natasha's shoulder the moment she was close enough to touch her.

She turned her head and smiled brightly. “I am when you are.”

Maria helped the kids in while Natasha got past Karen and into the car.

“Oh, by the way” she said, lowering her window. “It's pronounced Barbara” she said, stressing on the second 'ar' with a perfect accent. “And I'm sure it's true, they used to love you. But maybe they got over you, I hear it runs in the family” she smiled sweetly, lifting her window again just as Maria got into the driver seat and started the car.

“Do I have to pretend I didn't hear that or do you want me to scream at her?” the brunette asked in a whisper.

“ _Many years from now_ , uh?”

“I didn't-”

“Keep talking, you just might make me want to add a decade or two to the years you were thinking about, Maria.”

She saw the smirk playing on Natasha's lips and swatted her arm.

“You scared me, I thought you took it seriously” she mumbled.

“Serves you right” Natasha whispered back, leaning towards her to put a hand on her cheek and kiss her quickly on the lips. “Next time don't act so unwilling to put a ring on this” she leaned back, smirking and gesturing vaguely to herself.

Maria started the car, shaking her head.

“You know all too well I'd put a ring on that, as you so elegantly put it, more than willingly. The part I'm not adamant about is the wedding, not the marriage. Not if is to you, anyway.”

“And, you did say to Sara that marrying her best friend was the best thing she could do, after all” Natasha pointed out. “So, I guess, marry your best friend you shall.”

That time, when she smirked, Maria smiled back.

  


The ceremony was sweet albeit long, and both Barbara and Carl cried through the better part of it, the kids were quiet and mesmerized and Maria held onto Natasha's hand during the whole thing, never letting go for one second, their fingers intertwined and a smile plastered on both of their faces.

When they left the church Sara cut the second ribbon, they took family pictures in front of the church. They took one with the parents, one with the siblings, one with the whole family including the kids, Phil and, under Sara's relentless insistence, Natasha.

Maria didn't miss the chance to whisper into her ear right before they took the picture “Now who's the unwilling one?”

Natasha just smiled at the camera and then turned to her with a seriousness in her eyes that was worrisome to say the least. 

Maria found herself baffled, looking at the angelic face of the most dangerous woman in the world. Her beauty stroke her violently, like a punch in the pit of her stomach and she realized in that moment that if she lost Natasha, one day, if she lost her to someone else or in a war, she'd never feel this way again. The woman beside her was the only one in the world who could make her feel like that: like her love was worth it regardless of what it might happen, because she was sure she would never love this much again.

And she wished, more than anything in the world, she could say that out loud. She could just open up and say those words. But she kept them on the tip of her tongue for so many years that it felt like they were all stuck there and there was no way to let them out.

“You know I just don't want to intrude. There's nothing I'm more willing about than being a part of your family” Natasha told her, her serious voice matching the look in her eyes.

The people around them started shifting to allow the next picture to be taken, but they didn't move, they just looked in each others eyes until Elena gently put hands on both of their shoulders, forcing them to start walking and putting herself in between them.

“You lovesick puppies have to focus, we're going to the restaurant for the lunch with every relative we ever had, so I'm going to need your help to keep things smooth.”

“Speaking about keeping things smooth” Natasha cleared her voice. “I was thinking we should buy a pet.”

Elena frowned.

“Let me guess” Maria whispered after scanning the crowd. She already noticed two men standing in the back of the church that gave her an off vibe, but right then one of them was talking into his sleeve, so the vibe turned into an earthquake. “A naked mole.”

“Ew, are you kidding me, those are disgusting” Elena grimaced and shook her head vehemently.

“Want the tall mole or the small one?” Maria asked hurriedly.

“The tall one.”

“It figures, you'd never pass up an opportunity to climb someone and strangle them with your tights.”

“Something is telling me you are either not talking about moles anymore or you have a really, really weird idea of what owning a pet should be like” Elena observed.

“There are different kinds of moles” Maria said, heading for the shorter man, making a bee line through the crowd to reach him just to have him and the other one both escape into a nearby ally. She and Natasha followed them and Elena, of course, after scanning the scene behind them to make sure nobody saw them, went after them, too.

She paused only to look back, and yet, when she caught up to them, Natasha had already took down one of the men and Maria was holding the other one against the wall with a forearm pressed against his throat.

“Please don't kill us, Coulson sent us.”

Maria paused. “Phil sent you?”

“Yeah, we were supposed to watch out in case Banner showed up. But you made us the minute we stepped in, didn't you?”

“Are you some kind of recruits?” Natasha asked, looking between the two men like she couldn't believe she was in front of two actual agents.

Maria dialed a number on her phone with her free hand, still holding the man against the wall, while the other was was unconscious on the ground.

“Phil, did you sent two rookies to watch after us? What do you mean you didn't have other agents available? No, I know S.H.I.E.L.D. is short on agents right now, but _these_ two? We knew they were hostiles the minute we spotted them, and by that, I mean the minute they walked into the church” she scoffed, shaking her head.

“Alright, hand me the phone” Natasha demanded, taking the device from Maria's hand before she could even respond. “Phil, it's Romanoff. I didn't talk to anybody yet, so debrief me.”

A long stream of approval noises followed and then Natasha paused, said a quick goodbye and shut the phone off.

“They lost Banner.”

“The did _what_?”

“That's what we were here to tell you but we were down before we could show you either of our badges” then man chocked against Maria's arm.

She swiftly removed it, letting the man breath freely again.

“Sorry about that” she said, patting him on the arm. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you ma'am.”

“Good” Natasha rolled her eyes. “Now, how could you lose a giant green Hulk?”

“It was pretty easy, actually, ma'am. He transformed, broke free and ran. I guess that's what helped him escape, after all.”

“Agent, are you aware who are you talking to? I'm former Deputy Director Maria Hill, and I am sure there are still rumors running around the headquarters about what I used to do to agents who used sarcasm while talking to me.”

Elena noticed him gulping a little.

“Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am.”

“Anyway. Tony and Steve found him and brought him back in, so we're good” Natasha handed the phone back to Maria.

“That's why we were leaving” the agent explained, as his partner began to move from his spot on the ground. “They found him at the Avengers Tower, he was in your quarters Agent Romanoff” he explained.

“This is over the line” Maria observed. “You need to talk to him.”

“I will, first thing on Monday.”

“This has gone too far.”

“I agree, Maria, but there is nothing I can easily do right now, is there?”

She took a deep breath to regain her composure. Elena snorted behind them, making them turn towards her.

“Well, this is something I'd never thought I'd see” she crossed her arms with a smug smile.

Natasha helped the other agent up and then gave her a confused look.

“What part of it, the Hulk escaping? Him being a stalker?” Maria scorned.

“You're jealous” Elena pointed out. “You are so obnoxiously jealous, it's almost concerning” she chuckled.

Maria stiffened up. “No, I am not. I am concerned for the safety of one of my agents.”

“But we thought you didn't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore” the shorter man pointed out. “And neither does agent Romanoff.”

Maria ignored him, addressing the other man who just got up again.

“Are you good to go? You two have to leave and we need to go back to the wedding. If Banner is secure we're sure the Avengers can handle things for two more days without us.”

“Yes, we're supposed to reach the extraction point in ten minutes.”

“Well, then get going” Natasha invited them, raising an eyebrow.

They didn't need to say it twice, in a couple of seconds, the two agents were gone.

“So, wait. Why was the Hulk in your apartment, did I get that right? And why is Maria jealous of him? I'm confused.”

“I'm not jealous” Maria insisted sternly.

Natasha's hand on her arms made her stiff posture vanish almost instantly. Maria turned her head, meeting her eyes. And under the usual detachment, Natasha saw a very clear glint of uncertainty coloring those blue irides.

“Elena, can you give us a second? We'll meet you at the cars.”

She hesitated for a second, then shrugged. “Sure. Be quick, Sara looked like she was almost done with the pictures she wanted.”

“Thank you” she smiled, watching her go and then turning fully towards Maria. “You are jealous. And you're also hurting, I'm sorry.”

“I don't want you to think this is your fault, Nat” Maria told her gently. “He's the one acting crazy and it hurts me that you will have to deal with this when we get back, but I'm also well aware you'll be able to handle it” she sighed. “It just bothers me that this isn't something I can control or even interfere with, but I trust you. I'm just” she sighed again and shook her head slightly.

“You're cute when you're jealous.”

“I am” she admitted reluctantly. “I'm jealous.”

Natasha gently took her face in her hands and got up on her toes, kissing her sweetly.

“It's pointless. Cute, very hot even. But completely pointless. And I know you feel protective over me more than jealous” she circled Maria's neck with her arms and kissed her again. “That is also cute and just as pointless.”

“I'm not cute. I'm a badass” she protested weakly, her hands landing on Natasha's hips.

“Then tell me” Natasha whispered resolutely. “You're brazen, so say what you wanted to say when you looked at me before. When Elena dragged us away, you were about to say something to me. So, tell me.”

Maria's first instinct was to stiffen up again, but she fought against it and looked into Natasha's eyes. She felt strangely calm. She smiled.

“That it's silly of you to worry about intruding for wanting to be a part of my family. Because you _are_ my family. You've been the closest person to me for almost a decade. Nobody knows me like you do, Natasha. _You_ are my family.”

“You're mine, too, Mia.”

Natasha hugged her and Maria kissed her temple gently, smiling still.

She felt happy, she felt in love. It was new and strangely familiar.

“Come on, we have to go to the restaurant” she said in a whisper.

“Ah, yes, I can't wait. This is going to be fun” Natasha smirked, stepping away and leading Maria towards their car by their joined hands.

  


They were caught up chatting with Sara and Luke, so when they got in the car most of the guests, Elena and Phil and their parents had already left for the restaurant.

“Why is it taking so long?” Kyle complained from the back seat.

“I don't know, there's a lot of traffic” Maria noticed. Then she frowned. “It's unusual, actually, this isn't a very busy road.”

Natasha's phone vibrated, but she ignored it.

“Do you guys want to play a game?” she tried to distract them while Maria kept driving.

“Alright” Jenny smiled. “What game are we playing?”

“What do you say, Maria? We could play Whack-A-Mole.”

“I don't think we can play that game in the car” Kyle frowned deeply.

Maria sighed. “I'm starting to think we shouldn't have picked almost all of our safewords while drunk, after Tony made us watch that kids show. And I already saw that car following us, but thank you sweetheart.”

“Maria, I know you're stressed” Natasha told her cautiously. “But do not diminish Kim Possible, it's not her you're mad at.”

“Natasha we made a bunch of safewords based on a mole-code!”

“And it was brilliant” she sounded almost outraged.

“It is, but is also weird to be doing this twice in a span of an hour” she countered. “Can you please answer this, it's been vibrating for the past five minutes” she tossed her own phone to Natasha.

“Where were you even keeping this” she muttered, then put the phone on speaker. “You're on speaker, this is Natasha.”

“ _Natasha, you're alive. Good to know._ ”

“Tony?”

“ _Hi, Hill. How long have you been off of every social media you have?_ ”

“A while. Why? What is happening? Please be quick, a car is following us” she urged him.

Natasha quickly grabbed her own phone and started going through the notifications.

“Oh, this is bad” she mumbled.

“ _It is, indeed. The good news is, the car following you is probably just a reporter. The bad news is, there are a lot of a hell more where that one came from._ ”

“And why is a reporter following us?”

“ _You might want to sit down for the next part._ ”

“Tony, I'm driving a car.”

“ _Right. Anyway_ ” he sighed. “ _Someone leaked that Banner was in New York. And that he escaped the facility he was in and went to the Avengers Tower. And that he got into Natasha's apartment there. So some jerk pseudo-journalist made an article about how the two of them have been having a relationship for the past few years and how it all went sideways recently and that's why he came back._ ”

“That's silly” Jenny laughed.

Everyone paused.

“ _Who was that?_ ”

“Hi, I'm Jenny.”

“Stark, why is there a car following us? How did they even know that we were in Chicago?” Maria was utterly baffled.

“I can answer that. But you're not going to like it” Natasha told her calmly.

“One of you talk. Now.”

“My phone kept buzzing because I have a ton of Twitter notifications. Someone posted a photograph of the wedding and tagged me. Well, tagged the official Black Widow account.”

“But nobody knew it was you except for my-” she cut herself off. “Alright, who was it? Oh, why am I even asking, I know who did it. What did he write?”

Natasha clicked her tongue. “He wrote that he was at his sister's wedding with Black Widow, this was tagged to my account, then he wrote we were headed to the restaurant and put its location on the Tweet.”

“He put the location on th- I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to strangle him to death this time” she gripped the wheel tighter as they approached the restaurant.

“ _Well, now you know, so I'll go. There's no possible way you're going to turn this into a bigger mess, so good luck ladies. I'll talk to you later, I'm going to do some damage control, schedule a press conference for Monday and all that._ ”

“Alright, thank you” Natasha closed the call. “Just park on the back of the restaurant, we're going to take the service entrance and luckily nobody will even notice us, alright? This isn't a big deal. It's going to be-” her eyes fell on Maria's phone, which she handed to her before because it kept buzzing. It occurred to her in that moment, it couldn't have been all because of Tony. “Thirteen. There's thirteen missed calls from you mother and Elena.”

Maria breathed in and out and tried to go back to her controlled self, but it became harder and harder with every single crisis. She would pick a new Hydra unit any day of the week over this, she could be detached when it wasn't so personal, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to be rational about that whole situation.

A feeling of uneasiness and sadness settled on her when she realized exactly what her brother had done with that single Tweet.

It was bad. It was very, very bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I had to split this up, guys, but it was just too long and I wanted to post at least part of it today. Sorry about the cliffhanger, the next part will come as soon as I'm done writing it!
> 
> Thanks for reading, you are all so awesome. Let me know what you thought about this!


	10. Saturday (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go sideways. Again. But Natasha is a super spy, even though everybody keeps allegedly forgetting it, so she'll fix it.

They parked on the back as Natasha suggested, the front was packed with journalists, cameras flashing and even some reporters live streaming to their channel.

“I don't like this” Jenny said in a shaken voice.

“Me neither” Kyle whispered, unsettled too.

Natasha turned around, seeing Jenny fidgeting and Kyle staring out the window.

“I'll pick Jenny up, alright? You take Kyle by the hand, we'll be quick, nobody is back here, the car that was following us got stopped.”

Maria nodded, still trying to get back her iron nerves.

They got out and quickly did what Natasha said. The redhead opened the back door and picked Jenny up, whom hid her face in the crock of her neck and circled her shoulders with her arms. Maria helped Kyle get out and he took the hand she offered him, staying close to her. She let go to hug him across the shoulders with one arm and keep him closer to herself in a protective manner.

They were quick, but not quick enough.

They were almost inside, when Maria saw a flash out of the corner of her eyes. They didn't pause, they got inside and exchanged a look. There was nothing they could do, not with the kids looking, not if they didn't want to set a very bad example on what strong manners should be used for.

“Come on” Maria said in a low voice. “A pretty big lunch is waiting for us, kids. Hurry up” she faked a smile, trying to calm them and led them to the main room.

They headed straight for her family, whom were chatting with each other in hushed whispers when they got there.

Jenny and Kyle ran to their parents as soon as they saw them.

“Is this true? You and Bruce Banner?” Sara asked as soon as they were within ear shot.

“Of course is not true” Natasha answered as they were nearing them.

“But those agents at the wedding said the same thing and it's all over the news, he was in your apartment” Elena pointed out, after she hugged each of her kids after they reached her.

“Just because he thinks there's- _Maria_!”

Natasha started to explain, but Maria didn't care. She didn't pause, as soon as she was close enough she grabbed her brother by the hem of his blazer. She just stared at him, less than five inches from his face, a stern look on hers. Everyone but Natasha was paralyzed.

“You finally got what you wanted” she hissed. “I told you if you brought her in on this, you were going to get a reaction out of me, but also a broken jaw to go along with that and if you thought I was kidding, think again” her eyes were cold and her expression was hard. 

His hands grabbed her wrists, but she didn't even flinch when he tried to pull. Everybody kept staring at them, without knowing what to do.

“You do realize that by being an asshole and ignoring our request to keep Natasha's identity anonymous, you haven't only screwed me over and caused her a hell of a mess to deal with, you've also almost fucked Sara's wedding up” her voice was just above a whisper, but nobody missed what she said. “I forgave you a lot, Rob” her voice almost cracked at the end. “I forgave you for sleeping with Karen, I ignored your homophobic bullshit, I never gave in to you competitive attitude. But this” she shook her head, her expression hard. “I will never forgive you for taking this away from me.”

“Maria” Elena calmly said her name. “This is a reaction I would have had, so for you it's like overreacting by three-thousand times.”

“What do you mean, taking this away from you?” Sara wondered. “Natasha just said this thing with Banner isn't true.”

Maria, still looking hard at her brother, finally let him go and took a deep breath, stepping back but not averting her eyes from him, incapable of bringing herself to answer her sister's question.

“He posted a picture with my name and the location of this restaurant” Natasha said, as quietly and calmly as possible. “Every enemy I've ever had, they all know exactly where I am right now, because that picture is trending on Twitter. He might as well have put a giant target on the roof of this place with my name on it.”

“We can't stay. Natasha's in danger, you're all in danger as long as we're here. We just came to bring the kids to a safe place, but we have to go. We have to” Maria mustered, finally turning to look at Sara.

She shook her head vehemently. “No. No, this is my wedding. You can't go, I can't get married without you, Maria.”

“You already got married, Sara.”

“But it's not fair, you're my sister” her eyes teared up. “And it's my wedding.”

Natasha looked around. That family was something special. They loved each other, even when they didn't like each other, to a degree she never saw before. The Barton's kids were too little to fight so hard, to do such wrongs. But Maria's family, they went through some horrific stuff. And they still loved each other.

Maria's place, that day, was at her sister's side. And she said it herself. She would never forgive her brother for taking it away from her. If Maria walked away right then, it would ruin them. That stubborn way they kept forgiving each other, the patience and calm and endurance she admired in that family, it would be gone.

And that wasn't to say she didn't think such affection was naive when aimed at someone like Rob, who kept disappointing them, but maybe, to Natasha, it was even more special because of its foolishness.

She knew Maria would never forgive her brother for the events of that day, regardless of what would happen next. But she could make it better, somehow. And because of the unspeakable love she felt for that woman, she knew she had to.

Maria stepped towards her sister and took both of her hands.

“Listen to me. I was at your wedding, I'm just missing lunch. But I was there, I heard your vows, I saw you on that altar, I saw Luke shed a tear when you walked in. I'll always remember this day, Sara. And I'm sorry, I am shattered, but I can't stay. We _have_ to leave. But before we go, I want to say how proud of you I am. How amazing and brave it is to go after the life you want to lead. I never said this to Elena, I was so young when she got married” she quickly glanced at her other sister. “But it goes for her, too” she smiled. “Marriage isn't easy. Making it work as well as she does, and as well as I'm sure you will, it takes a lot of courage and a lot of effort. I can only hope to be as lucky and as brave as you, both of you, are everyday. Take care of each other, stand up for each other and protect each other. Or I'll kick your asses when I come back.”

Sara smiled through the tears and hugged her closely.

“Come back soon, then.”

“I will” she whispered, backing off. “I promise.”

Just as she was about to add something, her phone buzzed loudly. It was a text from Natasha's number. She frowned, raising her eyes and looking around, just to see that, while she was talking to her sister, Natasha had completely vanished from before her eyes.

“What is it?” Sara asked.

“A text. From Natasha.”

They all looked around, noticing she was missing, too.

“Well, what does it say?” Elena asked.

Maria read it quickly, then read it again and again.

“It says 'I can't be the one you missed this for'” she read it out loud.

She knew immediately what she meant. She wouldn't let Maria go back to New York with her without attending her sister's wedding reception. She couldn't take her away, not even for the sake of everybody else's safety on top of her own. And she knew there was just one way to make Maria stay behind while she left. Disappearing without a word.

“I'll check on your car” Phil volunteered.

“There's no need to” Maria told him calmly. “It's gone. And so is she.”

“And apparently she made a big show of it, too” Luke said, showing her his phone with a live stream of Natasha rounding the building in Maria's car, waving to all the journalist there, and then speeding away from the restaurant. “She wanted it to be clear she left, so we wouldn't be targets anymore, just like you said.”

Maria nodded and gave him a force smile.

“Well then” she pushed everything she was feeling aside and faked a smile towards Sara. “I guess I'm staying. Let's get this party started” she tried her best but her words sounded bitter and sad and heavy. However, she kept trying her best.

  


Maria felt worse and worse with every passing minute. She excused herself as soon as everybody else started heading towards their table, going to the bathroom and dialing Natasha's number as soon as the door was closed.

“Please pick up, please, please.”

As soon as the automatized voice mail started she closed the call and tried again. After the fourth time, she gave up.

She put her hands on the edge of the sink and breathed deeply.

The very thing she wanted to avoid, was right there in front of her, thanks to her brother.

Natasha went with her and she really had been the perfect girlfriend, avoiding crisis after crisis all week. But now she was at the wedding, alone. And a burning feeling sat on the pit of her stomach. She would have liked to call it anger very much, but it wasn't; it was uneasiness. She felt out of place next to her family, without Natasha's shooting presence by her side. 

And she had to be at a table with her brother, her ex and an idiot who used to hit on her all of the time. It would drive her nuts.

She checked her breath and when she felt calm enough she went back outside, heading for her table and hearing her brother talk as she approached.

“Let's look at the bright side, at least there isn't an extra seat at our table anymore, we're just eight like every other table.”

Maria came to an halt right beside her own seat, her hand slowly reaching for the knife beside her plate.

Elena's hand came to rest on top of her own, forcing her to drop the knife back down.

“Sit down, just don't listen to him, sit down and breath” she whispered soothingly.

Maria clenched her jaw, forced a smile and did as she was told.

She sat there and listened to Karen and Rob talk and laugh like they were friends, she sat there and barely even flinched when Mark arrived and kissed her on both cheeks, telling her how much prettier she looked with her hair longer – Elena had to stop her from reaching for the knife again – and sat down in Natasha's place, on her left.

She endured. She stood unwavering, as Natasha said, even when Rob put a hand on Karen's shoulder, or when she stroked his tie, laughing and throwing her head back. She had always been a light weight, and she already was three glasses of wine in and only the appetizers had been served yet.

Maria ignored Mark's attempts at small talk, got up, went to the bar and ordered two double whiskeys, drowning the first one and bringing the second back to the table to nurse.

“So, Maria” Mark attempted again. “Still single, uh? I'm glad we get to catch up, I always felt like we had a connection when we were kids.”

Maria bit the inside of her cheek to summon the strength to answer him calmly.

“Mark, I've told you before and I'm saying it again, I've never had a crush on you. Rob completely made that up and told you just so you would hit on me. Of course, not even he could have predicted that it would go on for _years_.”

“Oh, come on, that's not true. You totally had a thing for me.”

“No, I did not. Like I told you fifteen years ago, Rob told you that because he hoped that his very, very handsome best friend could _cure me_ ” she spit the last two words out. 

The rest of the table started to focus on their conversation.

“I confronted him about his appalling behavior and he was an asshole. I stood up to him and, just to mess with me, he slept with my girlfriend and blah, blah, we all know the story. Or, maybe, he was once again trying to prove that what we had wasn't real and that, if Karen could change, then so could I” she drowned the rest of her drink.

“So this is the time and place you decide to talk back?” Rob told her coldly, his charming attitude towards Karen momentarily gone.

“I told you, if you messed with her, I would. And this is what you wanted, right? For me to finally talk back at Sara's wedding so that mom and dad would finally hate me forever.”

He just sort of laughed and shook his head.

If it was out of real enjoyment or plain sarcasm, Maria honestly couldn't even tell anymore.

“You two seem cozy” she gestured between Rob and Karen.

“Are you jealous?” Rob asked, a smirk on his face that Maria would have gladly punch off of it.

Instead, she smiled to herself.

Her brother thought he had the upper hand, but just a couple nights before, Karen admitted she slept with him because he reminded her of Maria. Rob would probably be shattered to know the girl – Maria didn't know for sure, she never had, but she had always suspected it – he had always had some sort of crush on, only slept with him because of his resemblance to herself, of all people. After everything he said about her, or did to her, saying this to his face would just finally silence him once and for all.

But then, after finishing her food, which had been distracting her, her niece turned to her with a spark of hope in her eyes.

“Where's auntie Natasha?” Jenny asked, hopefully and sweetly.

It was all it took for Maria to snap back.

All she said, all she was about to say, it wasn't her. It was the hurt and the rage and her patience running thin. But that wasn't herself. She was, has Natasha described her, unwavering. She wanted to stay that way, to be strong and calm. Someone to lean on, because she didn't bend. That was what made Natasha fall so deeply in love with her and it was something she couldn't lose because of her brother.

She wouldn't ruin Sara's wedding, she wouldn't ruin Elena's opinion of her, she wouldn't ruin herself. Not because of him. He already took too much from her.

So she straightened up and went back to ignoring the homophobic and ignorant comments of both her brother and Mark.

“She had to go away early, sadly” she answered her niece with a one sided, forced, smile.

“Oh, is she saving the world?” Kyle asked excitedly.

“She's protecting someone she cares a lot about” she smiled more genuinely.

Elena's hand grasped her own, giving her strength.

“I don't know how you're doing this. If I was trained like you and he did this shit to me, I'd have snapped half his fingers by now” her sister whispered close to her, once everybody else resumed other conversations.

“Wait, so that whole fuss, it was true? Natasha as in Natasha Romanoff was here?” Mark asked after a couple of seconds.

“Yeah, Nat is auntie Maria's girlfriend” Kyle answered after several moments, when nobody else did. “She's awesome.”

Mark snorted, obviously not believing him. “Sure, she is” he said condescendingly.

Maria let it slide, focusing on the first course that had just been served to their table.

  


Mark kept nagging her, Karen kept laughing too loud at every stupid joke Rob made and Maria just sat there, checking her phone every few minutes waiting for some kind of news. The kids distracted her, but not all that much, and eventually they got up to go play with other kids.

News finally came, in the form of an online article.

“What is it?” Elena asked when she saw her tense a little.

“Someone took a picture of her getting on an airplane, she's” she cleared her voice. “She's going back to New York without me.”

“Well, you're going back tomorrow so it's not a big deal. She said the thing about Banner wasn't true, right?” Elena asked.

“Wait” Karen chipped in. “Was Banner the ex who came back to New York? The one you told me about?”

Maria instantly regretted her passing moment of openness.

“No, he's not an ex, they were never together.”

“Well, he might not be an ex boyfriend, but trust me” Rob laughed humorlessly. “He's an ex something. There are some pictures running around on the internet, and the way they look at each other is unmistakeable.”

Maria's jaw tightened. She breathed in and out slowly.

“I don't really care, I trust her with my life. If there ever was something, it was over long before we got together.”

“Well, I mean, he is a superhero. An Avenger. You're not even a little bit worried she's going to jump back into his arms?” Rob pushed.

She thought about what Natasha told her the day before. _“I'm right where I want to be and I'm not going to leave.”_ But she did leave. She left. Even though it was to protect them, it wasn't on her, she reminded herself. It was on Robbie.

“I'm not. I tracked my own car, she went back to our house and left it there, she probably packed her suitcases and left. It doesn't look like someone too willing to leave, does it? I could have brought her stuff back, but she went and packed, left the car, went to the airport. She didn't even ask for a jet. And we have known he was looking for her since yesterday, she didn't leave then. She went back to protect us, not to be with him.”

Rob laughed again. “You keep telling yourself that.”

“Oh, _shut up_.”

Surprisingly, that didn't come from Maria or even Elena. 

It was Phil. Quiet, chill, one-of-Rob's-best-friends Phil.

“I know I'm supposed to be your friend, but I can't take this anymore. She lets you act like a spoiled brat, she's been for the whole week, you've been an asshole to her, to Natasha, to Sara. You've said and done things that honestly concern me about you being near my kids, dude.”

Maria never heard so many words come out of Phil's mouth in one go, and he didn't look like he was done, at all.

“Your sister is happy. She found a woman she loves so much that she brought her home, do you have any idea how hard that must have been since the last one was Karen? And look how well that turned out, thanks to you!” he scoffed. “But instead of being super supportive and making amends, you're acting offended that she got over what you've done to her. She forgave you, dude. Now, please, before ruining this family and your relationship with each member of it, just forgive your damn self, too.”

Silence fell, for a long while.

“I did, you know?” Maria whispered. “I did forgive you.”

“I never asked you to” he told her angrily.

“Yeah, well” Maria laughed a bit. “Forgiveness is just funny like that, sometimes. You can forgive someone who never asked you to, and never be able to forgive someone who begs you to” she looked quickly towards Karen, then back at her brother. “Why do you want me to hate you so much?”

He looked down, shaking his head. 

“Why are you doing this, Roberto?” Maria asked, calmly.

“God, I hate that name.”

He sighed and finally looked at her.

“What I did to you was horrible” he said in a low, dark voice. “It was the worst thing I did in my life, but you just forgave me and got over it. And I can't. I can't get over what I did. I still hate myself. And I resent you, you did nothing at all to me, _nothing_. But I resent your relationship with mom, dad, even with Sara and Elena. I feel this anger towards you and it makes it worse, because it's misplaced. But it's there. But if you hate me back, if you resent me too, than maybe I'm not that horrible of a person for not- for-” he stumbled over his own words.

“For not being able to accept the fact that I'm gay” Maria finished for him.

It all went back to that.

She just looked at him, all words failing her. Her eyes were teary and sad, she felt disappointed, hurt and heavy hearted. She kept looking at him, mustering her thoughts to speak out loud, but nothing she could say would ever express how deeply wounded she felt.

Her phone starter ringing, saving her from the impossible task of having to find something she could possibly reply to that.

“Hill” she said, picking up and looking down.

“ _You know, when I said there was no possible way could turn this into a bigger mess, that wasn't a challenge, Maria._ ”

“Tony? What happened?”

“ _An article came out on an online magazine and there was a picture with the two of you, I'm sending it to you right now._ ”

She looked at the screen to be presented with the picture that was taken as they were entering the restaurant with the kids.

“What does the article say?”

“ _You should probably sit down._ ”

“Stark.”

“You're on the phone with Tony Stark?” Phil asked, sliding to the edge of his chair. “Could you ask him about-” the incredulous glance Elena gave him made him pause. “Nevermind” he whispered and went back to fully sit on his chair.

“Take them off the internet, whatever it takes. Sue them, burn all their servers down, I don't care Tony, just get it done.”

“ _Well, I could do that, but it wouldn't be much use. Since it came out another thousand articles like that one did, too. That picture is everywhere._ ”

Maria took another look. Jenny's face was hidden between Natasha's shoulder and neck, while her own arm obscured partially Kyle's, but not enough to make it look like the two of them didn't resemble each other so much.

“What does the article say?”

“ _They're speculating, since Natasha was carrying a child in her arms, that she and Banner have two kids together_.”

“This is outrageously heteronormative of them, Kyle is my miniature copy.”

“ _We all agree. And that's why they're also speculating you, former Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers handler, might be Banner's kids surrogate mother._ ”

A very long silence followed.

“I think I'm going to throw up” she whispered.

“ _Well, I'm assuming the next part is going to give you an aneurism, so I sent an ambulance to your restaurant as a precaution._ ”

“Oh, there's more. That's just great.”

“ _Natasha is M.I.A. as of a couple minutes ago when one of the flight assistants looked for her all over the plane and she was nowhere to be found. She's gone_.”

Maria was silent again, for a long while, letting those words sink in.

“ _Maria_?”

“She's gone for good?” she asked in a whisper. “No word to Clint or Steve or-” or _me_ , she wanted to add. But she didn't.

“ _No, I'm sorry. Pepper is coming up with a plan to fix this as we speak, alright? For when you come in tomorrow we'll have something, I promise_.”

“I've got to go” she saw the caterers come in with the wedding cake. “I'll see you tomorrow, don't make this worse.”

“ _Yes, boss._ ”

Maria closed the call and tried to ignore all the eyes fixed on her, not only by the people on her table who heard part of the conversation, but by others who saw the articles online, too.

“What happened?” Elena asked, concern in her eyes, as the kids came back to their table for the dessert.

“She's just gone. Went off the grid to lose the journalists is my best guess. Not a text, not a call, not even an email” she checked account after account on her phone. “Nothing” she whispered in a defeated tone. “She must think this is my fault. If she didn't come here with me-”

“Don't say that. Natasha loves you, Maria. She's probably waiting for you in that couch of yours she thinks is so comfortable” Elena told her with a reassuring smile.

Maria sighed, shaking her head a little.

“I hope so. I really, really hope so.”

  


Maria kept seeing article after article on her feed, 'Black Widow saw in West Virginia', or 'Natasha Romanoff sightings all over North Carolina' and 'Is Romanoff headed to Florida?' were the most clicked ones. The pictures didn't look photoshopped, but they were blurry and taken from afar, it could have been her, sure, but it could have been a million other women, probably.

And why she didn't put on one of her other wigs or even the Stark's Photostatic Veil to disappear it was beyond her. It was like she wanted to be seen as she got away.

Karen gave a speech, Carl also gave one, Luke's best man added one too. It was getting late and Maria's leg was bouncing faster and faster under the table. She wanted to go home, pack and leave, but she had to stay.

Problem was, the launch had been long enough, with all the appetizers, first courses and main courses her sister wanted to have. They finished serving the dessert well into four in the afternoon, three and a half hours after Natasha's disappearance. And then they started with the talking and toasting and after all that, Rob and Mark were going to, according to another Italian tradition, cut Luke's tie and sell every piece to the best offering guest, so that they could pay part of the honeymoon expenses.

She just avoided to look at her brother, Karen or Mark for the rest of the day. What could she say to them, anyway? Rob was looking guilty as hell and, even though she thought it was the least he could do after admitting what he had, she preferred when he just pretended he was an unapologetic asshole. Karen looked like she thought Natasha had just left her forever, both sorry for her and overly flirty. And Mark still didn't believe she and the Black Widow were together, he kept hitting on her not-so-subtly. And she just wanted to leave already.

But Sara every once in a while caught her eyes and beamed at her from her table and Maria smiled back, feeling like it was worth it. It was her sister's day and she looked happy, so she was going to sit that through.

After everything was said and done, Sara and Luke personally handed to every guest a 'Bomboniera', an Italian party favor given at weddings. When everybody else had left, Maria made her way to the newlyweds.

“So, I haven't given you my gift yet” she stated with a smile.

“Oh, but Maria, you being here was a gift enough! You and Natasha were both awesome the whole week” Sara answered, sweetly.

“It was a gift for me too, being able to be here. So, that doesn't count. But I hope this does” she said, lifting an envelope.

“Is that a letter?” Sara asked, curiosity painted all over her face. 

“Oh, is it from the Avengers?” Luke gasped. 

“Is it signed by Captain America?” Sara wondered in amazement.

“If I had known you two were so easy to please, I wouldn't have plotted so hard behind your back to change your honeymoon tickets.”

Sara's jaw almost hit the floor. “You did what?!”

“Mom and dad told me you two were going to Mexico and I knew you always wanted to spend your honeymoon in Hawaii, so I asked Luke and he said you couldn't pay for the whole thing. I made a few calls, pulled some strings, and, with Luke's assistance, here's your new tickets and hotel reservations. It's from all of us, Elena and Phil, Rob, mom, dad, Natasha. The kids made the drawings on the front” she pointed to Sara's and Luke's figures holding hands, both had sunglasses on and they appeared to be on a beach.

Sara took the envelope slowly, still a little shocked.

“But we can't afford-” she started reluctantly.

“I told you, Sara, we took care of the plane and hotel, I booked you everything I could pay in advance and Rob sold Luke's tie's pieces for a lot of cash, which is in there by the way” Maria's smile widened.

“We're going to Hawaii?” she asked in amazement.

“You're going to Hawaii.”

“We're going to Hawaii!” Sara almost screamed, hugging Maria while jumping a little. Luke joined in on the hug, squeezing them both.

She hugged them both back and tried to quell down the sadness she felt deep down in her chest and to listen only to her own happy feelings.

“Thank you, Maria” Sara told her, still overjoyed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, you big sap” Maria told her, gently patting her back. “But you're going to have to let me go, it's almost seven and I want to go home and pack, so I can bring you guys to the airport and then go back to New York, since your flight leaves tonight.”

Sara finally let her go and agreed they should probably head back home.

  


When they reached the house in Luke's car, Maria saw her own car parked there and suddenly felt like driving the twelve hours ride back home would be impossible. But she was determined to leave right then and there to be back in the morning and help Tony and Pepper sort everything out.

They went inside, their parents and siblings talking in the living room, laughing loudly.

“You get changed and grab your suitcases, put them in my car, alright? Yours, too Luke, your brothers can pick your car up tomorrow, I'm driving you to the airport. I'll pack my suitcase and then we can go.”

Sara nodded and Luke gave her a thumbs up.

Maria headed for the basement only to stop in front of the stairs.

She would never be able to be in that room again without missing Natasha with all her heart. But she had to go down there and pack, so she took a deep breath and did as much.

As she slowly opened the door she saw the dim light of the bedside lamp coming from the room and it startled her because neither she nor Natasha usually forgot them on.

She entered the room and saw why the lamp was on.

Natasha lifted her eyes from the photographic album in her hands and smiled slowly up at Maria, whom was still standing on the threshold.

She stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her, leaning on it for support.

“How are you here?” she asked in an amazed whisper.

“Took you long enough to come back, your parents arrived half an hour ago.”

Maria stepped away from the door and moved towards the bed, sitting on its edge and still facing the woman in front of her as if she wasn't entirely sure she was real.

“It was quite easy. I came back with your car, picked the front door lock and got inside, came down here, took a bag with a couple of my wigs and a Photostatic Veil, you know, my emergency bag I always carry in my suitcases. Then I changed, walked out dressed in street clothes and with another face of course, I took a cab to the airport, bribed a flight attendant to take a picture of me getting in a plane I never took and to announce an hour later I was missing. I sent the picture to an online reporter, changed again in a bathroom, took another cab back here and picked the lock again. Then I sent pictures of me across the States all the way to Florida to various journalists masking my IP address and sat here waiting for you.”

“And people were too worried with the madness of tracking you down to realize it didn't make sense how fast you were getting to Florida.”

“Also, there's a picture of us with the kids that has been seen by everyone apparently. I have no idea how, but someone thought they might actually be Banner's kids?”

“I know, Tony called to fill me in. you could have warn me, you know? Sent me a signal?” Maria reprimanded her.

“But then I wouldn't have seen the look on your face when you walked in here.”

Maria shook her head, but a smile escaped her.

“Alright, smartass. Are you ready to leave?”

“I am. I just wanted to ask you, first, if I can maybe have a copy of this photograph?” she asked hesitantly, turning the album in her hands towards Maria, to show her which was the one she was referring to.

“This one?” she asked a little taken aback. 

It was a picture of herself, she was about ten years old in it, sitting in the backyard doing absolutely nothing and smiling at the camera. It wasn't particular, or beautiful, or even significant. It was just a picture in an album full of similar pictures.

“Yeah. I'd make a giant copy and put it in the Avengers Tower, I'll have 'do it for her' printed below it” she told her, looking down at the picture while Maria was looking at her.

“What's so special about this one?”

“Absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. It's this little girl with oversized clothes and the longest hair and the prettiest eyes and the kindest smile. And this girl grew up to be the most amazing woman to ever walk on Earth. So this is a reminder, this is why we do it, why we risk our lives. Because the ordinary little girl we save, is not only someone's daughter or someone's sister or might grow up to be the love of someone's life. She might become the extraordinary woman who saves the world everyday. Not everyone is ruined like me, Stark or Clint into becoming what we are. Someone just chooses to carry the world on her hands even if she doesn't have super strength. You were an ordinary girl and you grew up to be both the love of someone's life and the woman who saves the world. So this is why we fight. This is why _I_ fight. For you.”

Maria looked at her with tears in her eyes and all she could do not to break down there and then was to lean forward and kiss her.

“I love you, Natasha.”

“I love you, too.”

  


The plan was pretty simple. Maria was going to distract her relatives while Natasha sneaked out and put her own suitcases in Maria's car's truck. Then she would switch on the veil, put on a wig and walk a couple half a mile ahead to pretend she was looking for a ride to the airport, which Maria was kindly going to offer to her.

Except, when she walked out, Rob was loading Sara's suitcases on Maria's car. Obviously. Because nothing, not even for once, could ever be easy in their life.

Natasha had learned early in her days in the Red Room not to lose her temper and snap, because consequences might be disastrous.

But she had a long week. A very, very hard day. And there he was, just a few feet away from her, she could sneak up behind him so easily he would have never know what hit him. She wanted to teach him that lesson so badly. But she also knew, that wasn't her anymore.

She was changed, she was better. And he didn't do anything that couldn't be fixed with two or three months of press conferences and public appearances.

Or, judging by the picture with the kids, maybe two or three years of public appearances.

Her fist tightened, but her decision was already made. She would never hurt Maria's brother, it didn't matter what he did.

Maybe, if she had been there during the lunch to hear what he said to Maria, she would have changed her mind. But she wasn't and she still thought he was just a jerk. So she left her suitcases next to the front door and disappeared. Maria could come up with a story about how she got them there without nobody noticing, she was sure.

  


Maria went into the living room to distract her family while Natasha sneaked out. She started saying her goodbyes to everyone, hugging Elena, Phil and her parents. Then she hugged her niece and nephew, both squeezed her very, very tight. She reluctantly let go of them, telling them they were going to see each other soon. Then, she realized her brother wasn't there.

“He couldn't even say goodbye to me, uh?” she whispered to Elena.

“Actually, he was hoping to talk to you privately before you left. He volunteered to load the bags in your car, he's outside.”

Maria felt herself go stiff for the briefest moment. She immediately turned around and went outside, only to almost bump into Natasha's abandoned suitcases on the doorsteps. The redhead was nowhere in sight.

“Hey, do you need any help?” her brother asked, approaching her.

“Yeah, if you could put my suitcase in the trunk I'll take care of these” she said, looking down and picking them off the ground easily.

He nodded and complied, taking Maria's and bringing it to her.

“Look, about what happened today-”

“Leave it, Robbie.”

“I'm really sorry. I didn't think it would turn into this huge mess, I just thought someone might see the picture tomorrow and have a laugh at it.”

“You know what, you could at least apologize properly” she sighed heavily. “First of all, you should apologize to Sara, it's her wedding you messed with” she shut the trunk harder than strictly necessary and then turned to finally look him in the eyes. “Second of all, you don't get to say you didn't know better. You're an adult, you screwed up, so fucking own up to it. You're not a kid anymore, you don't get to be a jerk to me because you resent me for being a lesbian. You're not cool with that, that's your own damn problem.”

“Just, please, try to see this from my point of view, alright?”

“No, thank you. I'm not fond of seeing things from an homophobic point of view” she told him, rage raising inside her.

“Stop saying that, alright?” he pleaded, looking at the ground. “I'm not homophobic, it's not like I don't think gay people should get married or have kids, I just-”

“You don't want your sister to be one of them? Yes, that is actually the very definition of homophobia, Rob” she said angrily. “Just” she sighed and shook her head. “You wanted to fight with me so badly, you must have had things to say, and I'm finally ready to yell at you, so just say whatever you want to.”

“The problem wasn't you” he told her weakly and finally lifted his eyes to look at her. “All the times I tried to piss you off so you would be mad at me and I wouldn't feel guilty, you're right, it was childish of me. And I” he sighed. “I will try to be better. To stop resenting the fact that you have a better job and a better life and the perfect girlfriend.”

All the rage and anger she felt quelled a little at her brother's words.

“And I have to make myself understand that your career isn't in any way related to your sexuality, that it hasn't anything to do with the fact that you're a better person than I am.”

It was the tiniest step. Admitting it was his fault, he was the one in the wrong. And that he was willing to try and change, to be better.

“Do that. But please, until you do get over this insane and childish stubbornness, until you understand the only one with a problem is you” she said slowly and coldly. “Do both of us a favor and stay out of my life, and most importantly, stay out of Natasha's life.”

He nodded and lowered his gaze again, swallowing the lump in his throat. He knew it would take time, but it was a step in the right direction.

Sara and Luke came out of the house and headed for the car. They stopped and said goodbye to Rob, pretending not to notice the heavy air between him and Maria. The three of them got in the car as Maria started to drive, all of them waving goodbye to their family, waving back from the front porch.

“How come you didn't kill him?” Sara wondered, turning towards her.

“How come you didn't punch him?” Maria asked back, smirking despite her teary eyes.

“I asked her not to” Luke said from the back seat, peaking his head between them. “My parents begged me to have the first wedding of our family where nobody passed out either from alcohol or a fight.”

Maria snorted and shook her head. “God, I'm going to love having you as a brother-in-law, dude.”

“Yeah, say that again when I show up uninvited to the Avengers Tower and you have to introduce me to all your friends” he laughed.

“Oh my God, you're a genius” Sara turned back to look at him. “We're absolutely doing that as soon as we come back from Hawaii.”

Maria rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. She spotted someone on the side of the road and slowed down her car.

She hadn't even fully stopped when the one of the back doors opened and a woman jumped in unceremoniously.

“Drive, Maria, I just saw two reporters heading to your parent's house and if they recognize your car I borrowed this morning on my grand escape they'll be onto us, go, _go_!”

Both Sara and Luke stared at her while Maria sped up again.

She looked at them, puzzled by their confusion, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Sweetheart, the photostatic veil is still on.”

“Oh, right” she swiftly took it off her face, discarding the wig, too. “I assumed you already told Sara I'd join you.”

“We were never alone, sorry” Maria looked at her reflection in the review mirror, smiling slightly at her. Then frowned. “What are all those cables in your left hand?”

Natasha shrugged and dropped them. 

Maria lifted a questioning eyebrow.

“Well, you know I would have never injured your brother” she started slowly.

“Natasha what did you do?”

“But, Mia, he deserved a lesson and since I'm always keen on teaching manners to others, I thought since I was walking right past it as I left the house, I'd take a look under the hood of his one hundred thousand dollars car.”

“And by taking a look you mean you ripped out most of its content.”

Natasha smiled her angelic smile. “Sara and Luke won't tell him. Sara loves me and Luke's terrified of me. And you won't tell him either, right?”

“Just when I thought I could not love you more” Sara whispered in awe, lifting an hand and offering an high five to the woman in the back.

“I was going to get rid of the evidence, but the journalists had me on alert and I just hid until I saw your car.”

Maria sighed and shook her head. “Well, even if he says it was you, nobody is going to believe him, since you're allegedly in Florida right now.”

“The perfect crime” Natasha smiled to herself, leaning back in her seat.

“By the way, how did you even manage to pull this off?” Sara asked, baffled.

“Yeah, we all saw those pictures of you in North Carolina” Luke agreed.

“Well, it's a long story” Natasha warned. “But I guess the drive to the airport is going to take a while” she smirked, meeting Maria's eyes in the review mirror.

Natasha's amused eyes filled with affection as they met Maria's. She thought about how much things changed in just a week, she was so glad she went with her. It had been an eventful, demanding week, but it had been one of the bests of her life so far.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple words to explain Rob's change of attitude. Once he says what he does, he realizes it doesn't make him feel lighter, on the contrary, he feels worse and guiltier. It's admitting his problem that makes him come to the realization he can overcome his prejudice (but he has to start trying of course). I thought as I re-read this that it wasn't maybe as clear as I wanted, what he felt, but the story isn't from his point of view is it? But yeah, he doesn't magically change his mind, he just starts trying.
> 
> Any kind of questions you have about characterization, plot, why they did or said something - I promise you, there's a reason - please ask in the comments and I'll answer to any doubt you might have. Constructive criticism is always appreciated!
> 
> Lastly, I'm currently writing the last chapter, which will be probably followed by a short Epilogue.  
> As always, if you want to talk about this ship or about anything I'm on I'm on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/).  
> Love you all!


	11. Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get home. Maria finally talks, and once she does, she can't seem to stop. Everything is messy, but Pepper has a plan.

Maria kept driving long after Natasha fell asleep in the seat next to her.

They were four hours into the drive, when she lazily woke up and turned towards her with heavy eyes, smiling tiredly.

“Want me to drive for a while?”

“You look sleepy, love. I don't think it's a good idea.”

“Oh, please, Mia. I drove with three bullet wounds and a fractured arm, I think I can manage sleep just fine.”

Maria laughed a little. “How about you keep me company for now and I'll pull over at the next service station so we can switch?”

“Sounds good. Why are you listening to Taylor Swift?”

“What do you mean why am I listening to her, it was on the radio.”

“Well why didn't you change it?”

“Because I like her.”

“You're such a soft butch.”

“I'm not soft” Maria furrowed her eyebrows and look confused.

“You're so soft you're probably filled with yeast.”

Maria snorted. “I should just let you drive and sleep your craziness off.”

“I did offer” Natasha pointed out. “Or we could both sleep, we could stop in a hotel and rent a room and look at pictures.”

“Oh, you brought the album with you?” she asked, genuinely curious.

Natasha laughed a little. “No, I didn't” she said with innuendo, her hand landing on Maria's upper thigh. “You're still not grasping this whole pictures metaphor.”

Maria laughed, shaking her head. “We have to be there by morning, you know that.”

“Why? It's not like our problems won't still be there in the afternoon.”

Maria stayed silent, deciding not to point out that the sooner they dealt with at least some part of their problems, the sooner their new relationship could have some kind of stability without Banner or the press breathing on their neck.

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I'm not that tired.”

Natasha just kept looking at her profile, not knowing what to say to make things lighter or somehow better. They were a little out of their depths. Give them armed enemies, they would manage just fine. But personal issues? They were screwed.

“Let me just drive for a while so I can be in charge of the station, Taylor would ruin my REM sleep anyway.”

“You can tease me all you like, but we both know I saw that playlist on your computer. You're soft, too, Romanoff.”

“Never said I wasn't, Hill.”

Maria turned briefly, just enough to see her smirk and then turned back towards the road, smirking back.

She stopped at the next station, so they could switch seats, and let Natasha drive for four hours while she slept. When she woke up they switched again so she could make the last four hours with ease.

“I'm staying awake, I swear, so I can keep you company” Natasha promised as she settled in her seat. Not twenty minutes later, she was fast asleep.

  


She parked in her building's underground parking lot and, only after turning off the engine, she turned to Natasha, gently grabbing her shoulder in order to wake her up.

“Hey, Nat, we're here.”

She stirred and looked around, then back at Maria. “Hey” she greeted in a sleepy voice.

“I figured you wouldn't want to go back to yours, after Banner going there and all.”

“Smart” she smiled a little. “I just need two hours of sleep and a shower and I'll swear I'll be back to functioning properly.”

  


They got into the apartment and headed straight for the bed, leaving the suitcases by the door. They collapsed on the bed without even changing their clothes or slipping under the sheets.

They were awoken three hours later by both of their phones going off. They spun up quickly and both answered.

“Hello, this is Natasha.”

“Hill” Maria mumbled grumpily.

“Hey, Sara! Did you land already?”

“Steve?” she asked, confused. “I thought you went back off the grid after taking Banner back.”

“Oh, and how is the hotel?” Natasha inquired.

“No, she's fine, she's right here, why?”

“Absolutely, you two should go diving, it's amazing there.”

“Well, if you were worried about Natasha why did you call _me_?” she questioned him.

“Wait, why are you calling _me_ and not your sister?” Natasha asked, puzzled.

They both turned towards each other at the same time, distancing their phones from their ears and looking between them.

“Your sister called you” Natasha stated, handing Maria the phone she was holding.

“And of course Steve is calling you” she confirmed, handing the other one to Natasha.

Maria got off her phone a couple minutes later, after a quick chat with her sister, and headed for the shower. Natasha was still on the phone when she got in, and she was still talking while pacing the room when she came back out ten minutes later.

“I'll call you back” she ended the call as soon as Maria walked in. “So” she sighed “I called Tony and apparently Pepper tried to reach you while you were in the shower. They want to see us, as soon as we can. They have a plan for the press we're going to need. I talked to Clint before Tony called and he says Pepper came up with a plan that is probably going to be our best shot out of this mess, if we agree that is.”

“Alright, bathroom's all yours, I'll make us breakfast” she said, then took a look at the watch. “Or, well, I'll make us lunch” she laughed a little and kissed Natasha sweetly on the cheek while passing her by.

While Natasha showered she went into the bathroom and started making them something to eat, but the more time passed, the more she realized they had to leave soon and go to see Pepper, Tony, Clint and, eventually, allegedly, Banner.

She wasn't really feeling up to it, for a vast number of reasons. But a thought that nagged at her, despite the million other things she should have been worrying about – like the thought of losing Natasha, like the thought of lashing out at that man, like the thought of the news keeping this made-up love story going on and ruining their chances of laying low – there was one thing above everything else which wouldn't leave her at peace.

What if, she kept wondering, what if those past six days with Natasha were all she ever got? What if they weren't going to get together, after all, and she hadn't been brave enough? She had plenty of occasions.

Natasha told her everything. She was going to always remember that, and cherish it. She told her when she knew she loved her, what she loved most about her, why she found purpose in the thought of being an hero for kids like Maria herself and why she wanted to be a part of her family. She said it all. She spared no words, no feeling, she wasted no chances.

Maria didn't say everything she wanted to. She barely said anything at all, actually.

She had so many things left to tell her, things she kept on the tip of her tongue out of habit and that might be stuck with her for the rest of her life.

She couldn't allow that. Her words were there, she thought them already. She just had to leap, to close her eyes and let them out. To say it all in case she wouldn't get another chance, just so Natasha would know and remember even if she didn't choose to stay.

She could bear the thought of everything else happening. Her privacy being screwed over was bad, but she'd been through worse things; Natasha choosing Banner would crush her heart, but she, of course, would eventually be at peace with it, if Natasha was happier that way. 

But Natasha leaving without knowing what she meant to her? No. That wasn't an option.

She was sitting at the kitchen island when Natasha came in from her bedroom.

“Whatever you made, it smells awesome.”

“Just some pasta, nothing fancy” Maria answered distractedly.

Natasha stopped in front of her and put her forearms on Maria's shoulders, her fingers playing with her hair.

“What has gotten you so serious?” she asked gently.

Maria sighed. “Can we talk for a minute? Do you mind?”

“Of course I don't mind, Mia. You can always tell me anything.”

Maria's hands settled on her hips and she looked down for a second, then back up at her, taking a deep breath.

Natasha felt her serious mood settling on herself, too.

“You told me you like the way I'm always steady, always firm. You're the opposite of that and it used to drive me crazy when I was your and Clint's handler” she laughed a little. “But I always secretly admired that, the way you could get out of any and every situation just improvising your way out. The way you're always in control even when it doesn't look like you are, the way you're inquiring people when they think they have the upper hand. I'm the opposite of that, I need a plan even for the table sits at family dinner. I could never wing an operation, but you did, every single time something went FUBAR, you miraculously saved the day. That had me hooked on you long before I even admitted it to myself.”

Natasha smirked. “I always knew you had a thing for my rebellious behavior.”

She bent a little, kissing Maria's lips, but the brunette kept it short.

“That's not all” Maria said immediately. “The first time I knew I loved you-”

“Maria, you don't have to do this, you know it. You don't have to say it all at once because you feel like you have to.”

“I don't” Maria said, almost out of breath at the realization. “I want to” she said, gently tightening her grip. “I wanted to say this for too long, I'm just stubbornly clinging to the idea of not having to, despite the fact that I'd never forgive myself if I didn't. I'm just scared, but being brave means you do things you're scared of, doesn't it? And I'm not losing another chance.”

Natasha tried to follow, but she wasn't quite understanding. They had all the time in the world, there was no risk of her not being able to say it eventually.

But Maria chose that time and place and Natasha just shut her mouth and listened, because what else can you do when the woman you love is pouring her heart out to you?

“So” Maria sighed again and kept going. “The first time I knew I loved you was when I took you ice skating your first night out.”

Natasha's eyebrows furrowed. “But it was years ago” she smiled a little, thinking she had somehow misunderstood what Maria meant.

“I know” Maria chuckled humorlessly. “But when I asked you out, I meant it like a date. And when I saw you there, looking so happy, so free, when we danced on ice that night, I just thought you were that _thing_. That one thing that was missing in my heart, the thing that I'd been chasing all my life, in every job, every city, every woman, it wasn't a thing at all. It was _you_ I was chasing. It was like, when I looked at you then, everything made perfect sense to me. Every job I had, every city I saw, everything led me to that, everything led me to you.”

Natasha's smile was gone and a serious expression replaced it.

“And maybe, yes, it was naive and foolish, to think life could make some kind of sense in the end, that all our lives aligned just so we could meet. But that thought, that naive, foolish, idea I had for just a moment that the randomness and chaos of the universe might have paused just to bring us together, that was a pretty clear sign that I was in love with you then.”

Natasha gently took her face in her hands, tears shining in her eyes.

“Why didn't you tell me then, Mia? Why didn't you ever say anything?”

“How could I? When we went back you told me how excited you were you finally found friends, like Clint, Phil and me, who were going to be there for you just because they cared about you, with no hidden purposes. And I promised to myself that night, I would never ruin that, I couldn't. That trust, that friendship. I would never risk that, because you needed a friend back then and that was exactly what I was going to be.”

Natasha tried to find something to say, anything really, but she came up empty. Because, of course, what in the world could you ever respond to that?

“Now, about what I wanted to tell you yesterday morning after the ceremony, when Elena interrupted us” Maria kept going. “I told you I wanted to say you don't ever have to worry about intruding because _you are_ my family. And while that is absolutely true, very much so, you only expressed your fear about that after I tried to tell you something I couldn't say.”

Natasha's gaze dropped as she thought back to that moment in her mind.

“I wanted to say something else. I wanted to tell you that I don't think I will ever feel something remotely close to this, ever again. This might sound foolish, too. But I do believe my feelings for you only grew stronger over time, even when we were apart, you were always there. I'll always love you, Natasha, and I'll always be in love with you because it became a part of me, it has been a constant in my life for a long time and I don't think I still know who I am without it” she willed away the tears in her eyes, and tried not to choke on her words. “You told me yesterday, before we left, that it's for little girls like me that you fight, so that they can have a bright future. The reason I fight, it's a lot more selfish than that. You had a very hard life, you always had a battle ahead of you. But someday, you will be able to stop. You will be free, you won't have any war left to fight, just a calm future in front of you and peace in your heart. That's why I fight. So one day, you won't have to, anymore.”

Natasha was left completely speechless.

“This is also why I told you those things when I got shot by that sniper. That I was just glad it wasn't you. Because you're fighting for a second chance you already earned. I just wish you could see that as clearly as I do. I hope someday you will.”

Natasha just kept looking at her for a long time, trying to find something, anything to say. She was just speechless. She lowered her gaze and felt the desperate urge to just talk.

“If there was anything I could say, any word in the world that could make you understand how I feel everything you do, how I love you just as much as you love me, I would, Mia. I'd say it now and tomorrow and every other day of my life.”

She prepared herself for Maria's disappointment at her current inability to reciprocate that speech immediately. But she felt a finger caress her cheek in the sweetest of touches and, when she looked up again, she saw the most beautiful smile on Maria's lips.

“But you already did” she stated simply. “You told me how safe I make you feel, you talked about the moment you realized you loved me, you said it all and much more. I didn't tell you all this because I was expecting you to repeat yourself. You said things I'll always remember and bring in my heart forever. I wanted to say this, too, so you would always know as well.”

Natasha moved forward and hugged so hard Maria almost felt like she couldn't breath. She didn't mind it, though.

“I know how hard is for you to talk about how you feel” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“Don't thank me. It's hard for you, too.”

“It is. But to you, I could tell everything.”

“I feel this way, too. I sometimes feel like you're the only person I can trust.”

She kept all her feelings locked up in such a full cage, that once she opened it, they all came out so easily she felt almost relieved instead of still being scared. She felt she did the right thing, that it didn't matter what happened, she was glad she said everything she wanted to.

She smiled again and kissed Natasha's shoulder, then turned her head in order to kiss her neck. She felt the redhead pull away and a moment later her lips were on Maria's.

“Maybe we can be foolish, just for a while” Natasha told her whispering, almost as if her words were a secret. “Maybe we can both believe that the universe paused its randomness just enough to bring us together at the right time and in the right place.”

Maria smiled up at her, stroking her cheek again.

“I don't think it's foolish to believe that at all. And even if it is, it gives us a sense of purpose. So, yes, let's choose to believe something nice, just this once.”

Natasha smiled back, blinking away the tears she didn't allow to fall during Maria's speech.

“Now” Maria said, getting up and standing even closer to her. “How about we eat?”

Natasha smirked up at her. “The pasta must be cold by now.”

“Probably” Maria told her, studying that little mischievous smile she had.

“It won't be a tragedy if it gets a little colder, then” she whispered as she stood up on her toes and kissed her again, and again, and again.

  


They drove to the Stark Industries building, the place where they were supposed to meet Tony, Pepper and Clint to discuss their strategy.

Maria parked her car in her usual spot and then waited for Natasha, closed the vehicle remotely and proceeded to stand beside her, a gentle hand on Natasha's lower back in both a comforting manner and an intimate gesture.

They entered the facility side by side, Maria opening the door for her, then both of them slipped into a more work appropriate behavior.

They walked up to the floor where Pepper's office was and they were escorted by her secretary in a nearby room, which apparently, unlike her office, was well hidden and out of the way just enough that nobody ever passed it by but not far enough that it would draw attention as stand-offish.

They were left alone in this room which, to Maria, honestly looked more like a cell. It had a desk and two chairs on each side.

Natasha sat with her eyes on the door, while Maria kept pacing the room.

“Why does it feel like we're the ones in trouble?” she pondered after a while.

Natasha smiled to herself, then faked a shrug.

“Don't know. Might be because I went MIA for a week without telling anybody except Clint where I was going?”

“Like I'd let you do that” Maria scoffed. “Pepper had an approximate itinerary of our entire trip, I gave it to her two days before we left.”

“Right” Natasha hid her little smirk. “How about because we made a public event out of your sister's wedding and draw attention to it, possibly endangering all the attending civilians?”

“No, Rob made a public event out of it, plus the journalists only came because of Banner's latest antics. If he acted more maturely, we wouldn't be in this situation at all. They can't blame this on us, Natasha.”

“True.”

“Why are you so calm?” she asked, finally sitting down in the chair next to hers.

“Because of what you just said” she explained simply. “I know you already have a perfect response to whatever nonsense Tony might try to pin on either of us and I'm not scared of him. Pepper, on the other hand- but I'm quite confident she'll be on our side.”

“Let's hope so, because I don't want to lose this job.”

Natasha smirked again, an hand tracing a path from Maria's forearm to her shoulder. She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially to her.

“But it would be so fun! We could both go off the grid, take a vacation. I know for a fact Sara isn't the only Hill who always wanted to see Hawaii” she told her in a tempting tone.

Maria let herself smile at that.

She knew right then that, whatever happened, it wouldn't be a tragedy. And it would certainly not be the end of them.

The door opened and they both turned, Natasha's hand dropping away from Maria's shoulder. They sat up straighter.

Tony and Clint entered and then shut the door behind them.

“Pepper's minion told us you were here, finally. You took your time. And then made us come in on a Sunday” Tony sat down heavily on one of the two free chairs and Clint sat beside him.

“She's finishing on the last details, you know how she likes to have everything written down” Clint pointed out. “And then transcribed on a computer. And then printed out.”

“You two look cozy” Tony pointed between them, his posture messy as always, his elbow on the back of the chair he was sitting in. “How did your trip to Chicago go?” he inquired.

“We all know we're not here to talk about the weather in Illinois, Tony” Maria answered shortly and resolutely. “This entire thing was a mess. You handled this like children.”

“Well, Commander, you weren't here” he observed. “We did the best we could to avoid this getting to the press, but we were short of one of our best employees, at least when it comes to secrecy and plotting.”

“And S.H.I.E.L.D. did their best to keep Banner in, but that's harder than you'd think” Clint added, grimacing. “Anyway, he's secured, calm and getting better by the hour. He almost has is control back, apparently he was exposed to some form of radiation that kept triggering his transformation and came to you for help to return to his human state.”

“And gave you his best 'I love you and you should love me back' speech” Tony concluded.

“So the added radiations are wearing off and he'll be back to normal in a matter of days? And he'll be free again” Maria elaborated. 

“The giant, green man who walked into my apartment, because he just feels _that_ entitled” Natasha said calmly. “How is this good news?”

“Because even if he's been acting like a stalker recently, he's our friend. And if you let him down gently enough he'll understand that” Tony said with an almost bored voice. “Now, going back to your trip to Chicago-”

“Let's say for a moment, some sense gets back into him” Natasha conceded. “There's still that little matter of the entire world thinking the two of us are secretly married with two kids. How in the world am I suppose to make that go away quickly?”

“The answer to that question will walk through the door behind me in three” Tony started his countdown. “Two” he pointed to the door with his thumb. “One.”

Everybody stood still for a long moment, but nothing happened.

“How awesome would it have been if that _actually_ worked?” he chuckled. “So, your sister's wedding, uh? That must have been quite a week” he tried to get them on that subject again.

Maria just sighed, while Natasha crossed her arms and gave him her best death glare.

Clint was about to speak again when the door opened and the sound of high heels clicking on the floor preceded the entrance of Pepper.

She stood in front of the desk, eying Maria cautiously, then Natasha for a very long time, then Maria again for even longer.

Tony cleared his voice and they all turned to him, as he pointed with his eyes at the folder and the tablet in Pepper's hands and then looked back up at her, raising an eyebrow.

“What's in the folder?” Maria voiced.

“This is your way out of this” Pepper told them. “If you already have a plan, suit yourselves. If you want to keep leaving all your friends in the dark, be my guest” she said, clearly unimpressed with the two spies' recent behavior.

“You know we want your advice on this, Pepper” Natasha said immediately. “If it was up to me, I'd just take a three years long vacation on a deserted beach, so if you have a better way to deal with this, I'm all ears.”

Pepper looked at her, then at Maria.

Maria actually rolled her eyes. “Don't start with the staring again. I get it, you're pissed at me because I thought you knew I was a lesbian and you didn't. I'm sorry.”

Pepper contemplated her words for a moment, then Maria saw her shoulders relax just the tiniest bit. She knew Pepper was more upset about the fact she didn't tell her about her crush, but they both knew they'd talk about that in private.

“So, Natasha, when it comes to you, the press seems to be focusing on three major subjects right now. If you agree to the plan I have, all three of them will be either explained or shattered, all the journalists in the country will pop their best bottle of champagne and in a week this whole fuss will be over. If you say nothing, this could go on for weeks, months even. If you say the wrong thing, it might even stick forever.”

Natasha sighed. “I was so content when I was invisible.”

“You're a superhero, boo-hoo” Tony nagged her. “The press comes with the job.”

“Please, Pepper, just ignore them and go on” Maria told her dismissively.

The blonde laid the folder on the table, sliding it slowly towards them and then opening it at the first page.

“Problem number one, Banner said you two are involved and everybody believed him. Pictures like this one popped all over the web” she pointed at the first picture, capturing Natasha with her outstretched hand, and the Hulk's hand just on top of hers. 

“Don't ask me why, but apparently, from now on, always assume a drone is following us and taking pictures from very, very far away, at all times” Tony sighed.

“No, that's not accurate. It was just some Russian hacker, hijacking HYDRA security system at that one base and divulging it. It was sheer misfortune that this was part of it” Clint explained.

“Problem number two” Pepper went on “is the fact that you were spotted in Chicago, at the wedding of a civilian, for no apparent formal reason” she turned to the second page, an image of Rob's Tweet and attached picture. “The whole 'she was there just to accompany a friend' thing has been weakly holding up, but it's like walking on thin ice. The more you stand on it, the more likely it is to crack. Someone who was there, who saw you this week, might just decide to tell the press something about the reason you were attending the wedding.”

“Yeah, let's talk about that for a moment” Tony chipped in. “Remember when Pepper suggested to bring a fake date to your sister's wedding?” he smirked. “I knew you were too smart to just drop it without further consideration.”

“Problem number three” Pepper cut him off, turning another page. “This.”

Maria swallowed heavily. Of course it was that one. Them with Jenny and Kyle.

“This picture is everywhere, and I mean everywhere” Pepper explained. “The Black Widow holding a little girl, walking with two kids to a wedding reception. This has been the month's most posted picture and it's only been online for twenty-four hours. There are already memes made with this. It's past viral, it basically exploded overnight.”

They all went quiet for a long moment, then Natasha sighed and looked up and away from that picture to look at Pepper again.

“Alright, then. You said you had a plan.”

Pepper nodded. Then smiled. She pointed at the picture again.

“I do. This is my plan.”

“What do you mean, I thought this was one of the problems” Maria argued.

“What do you see?” Pepper asked her. “It's not you, it's not Natasha. These are two people walking down the street. Two people looking at each other like this.”

They looked at it again. Taking away the reason the photographer was there – the alleged relationship between Banner and Natasha – all there was to see were two women, with two kids, looking at each other like they were in love.

Pepper showed them another picture, taken at the wedding, just after the family picture and before Elena went to take them away. The photographer had apparently captured that moment when Maria was about to say something but didn't. Again, the looked like the other meant the world to them.

She showed them another one.

It was older, taken at a party, the two of them laughed carelessly, both were wearing a dress and Natasha's hand was on Maria's arm.

The next one was even older, they were together celebrating some kind of S.H.I.E.L.D. achievement they couldn't even remember and they were softly smiling at each other and looked engrossed in a conversation.

“You want us to release these pictures to the press” Natasha stated.

“No, I will leak these to the press, through some hidden sources. Make it look like this wasn't meant to come out. Then I'll leak this, too.”

She turned her tablet towards them and showed them the parking lot security footage of them entering the building, Maria's hand on Natasha's lower back, the two of them standing too close and being just a tiny bit too intimate to be just friends.

Maria felt baffled.

“You want us to convince, not only my family anymore, but the whole country- scratch that, the whole _world_ , that we have been a couple for years.”

Pepper laughed at her, shaking her head.

“No, of course not, that would be pointless. They would just keep looking at these and see two gals being pals” she kept laughing. “No, I'm not an amateur” she sighed, her semi-faked laugh finally coming to an halt. “Natasha is going to do a press conference where she announce she can't bare the weight of hiding herself anymore, that this misunderstanding made her realize how she should clear things up and just tell the truth so this doesn't happen again.”

“A press conference. Singular? Just one?” Natasha asked, a little baffled. “That's not so bad, I can handle at least ten before my desire for murder increases.”

Pepper gave them her best angelic smile.

“Perfect” she chimed. “And that is when you are going to announce your marriage and we're going to release your wedding certificate.”

“My _what_ now?”

“You think about this for as long as you need. If you want to go with this plan I guarantee you it would explode and then, eventually, burn off. If you prefer to lay low, go off the grid, disappear for a while” she shrugged. “I can't keep you from doing that, obviously. But if you chose this? No more press scandals if a boy mentions you two have an affair, because the next day you're in public with your wife. No more Banner problems, because he will realize you're taken. No more sheer fear of you, because this will humanize you in a way that will make people empathize with you on a whole new level. You know how they say sometimes the best hiding place is in plain view? This is one of those cases. So, think about it. And if you do agree, the mayor's agreed to a quick escapade to the City Hall even if it's Sunday. You two _are_ national heroes, after all.”

She gave them one last angelic smile, closed the folder and picked it back up along with the tablet, then opened the door and held it. She gestured with her head and both Tony and Clint were up and out in a matter of seconds.

The door closed with the loudest click in the world.

They stood there in silence for a long time.

“Maybe she's messing with us. Maybe she has another plan that doesn't sound so” Maria sighed, looking for a word that could fit.

“Randomly crazy?” Natasha supplied.

“Yeah” she snorted.

“You know, she _does_ have a point. This will allow us, in a couple of weeks, to go back to our peaceful visible invisibility. Been here but not being seen.”

“Are you really considering marriage _four days_ after our first kiss?”

“We don't have to rush things just because we're getting married.”

“Now you're the one who sounds randomly crazy.”

“No, I'm serious. We can go on dates without worry about paparazzi or something, because everybody would know about us. We can walk in a park without people whispering if we hold hands.”

“People would probably still whisper and paparazzi would be there anyway because you're a superhero” Maria pointed out, but was completely ignored by Natasha.

“And worst case scenario, it doesn't work out. Divorces aren't that big of a deal, in a couple years nobody would even remember we were married anyway and we can divorce if you want to back out.”

“Why do you think _I'_ d be the one to back out?” she raised an eyebrow.

Natasha just shrugged and smirked.

“Things are good. I don't want Bruce to get in the way, I don't want your family to find out we faked this week and hate me, I don't want to lose you, Maria.”

Maria's hand immediately took hers.

“You won't” she reassured her. “Maybe Pepper has a point. Maybe this is actually the way to make all your scandals go away and just replace them with an explosive news.”

“We're going to have to come up with a speech for the press conference, but I'm confident I can be convincing enough. I'm still a super spy, after all.”

“I'm more than sure you will.”

“You don't have to this if you don't want to, Maria. I know nothing good is going to come out of this for you.”

“Yes, of course it's going to. First off, I'll be married to you” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I love you, I don't need some kind of reward to do this, you don't have to buy my support. I'll do whatever is necessary to help you through this.”

Natasha smiled at her, kissing her on the lips quickly and intertwining their fingers.

“After all, you've been the Perfect Girlfriend the whole week” she pointed out. “Now I have the chance to prove to you, I can be the Perfect Wife.”

Natasha laughed and then kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been fun to write, it's been good for my morale. I'm working both on the epilogue and a new multichapter for this couple, they're helping me during a tough period (and you guys are, too).
> 
> Let me know your thoughts about this here and come chat with me if you want to on [Tumblr](http://thetruthaboutlovecomesat3am.tumblr.com/)  
> Lots of love!


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years later.

She leaned on the window frame and looked out at Chicago's night sky, watching as the little snowflakes gently and soundlessly fell to the ground.

She always liked snow as a kid, it used to make her feel calm. It still did, but in the busy life she led, slowing down on icy streets was a luxury sometimes she didn't have, so she would always make herself choose clean roads over calmness.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and a gentle kiss fell on her shoulder.

She smiled and turned her head to get a second kiss, on her lips that time.

“What were you thinking about?”

Maria opened her mouth, but a squeak and a shriek got their attention. Jenny came running into the room, followed by her brother.

“Hey, you two are too old to be still acting like children” Elena reprimanded them, avoiding the trajectory of their chase, trying not to drop the glasses in her hands. “I got you a glass of cider, Luke brought it and Sara's poring it for everyone.”

“Thank you” Natasha smiled, taking one of them while Maria took the other.

“They're growing up so fast” she sighed, looking at her nephew and her niece playing around.

Elena chuckled. “Isn't that my line?” she pointed out. “I'm glad you two could make it home for a quick visit before the Holiday season this year, I heard things around New York are getting crazier and crazier.”

“Yeah, but we both needed a break from the madness” Maria half smiled.

“I bet you did” she murmured. “How was Spain by the way?” she asked, smirking.

“Lovely” Natasha answered for the both of them. “No point in denying that what started with a chase around the globe for a derailed inhuman ended up being the best anniversary trip we could have asked for” she smiled and sipped her drink.

“I can't believe it's been three years already” Maria smiled, too.

“Yes, thanks for inviting us, by the way” Sara chimed in, walking to them slowly, a little troubled by the size of her belly.

“You know the papers had to be dated as older” Maria rolled her eyes at her sister, whom never lost an occasion to reprimand them again and again about that. “We have technically been married five years.”

“You could have still invited us” Sara pointed out.

“So, when are you due?” Natasha tried to completely change the topic, nodding towards Sara's stomach.

“Oh, this little guy will hopefully come out any moment” she smiled, caressing her own stomach and looking down.

“So it's a boy?” Maria asked. “I can't wait, someone to spoil again, since I can't seem to get Kyle anything he likes anymore.”

“You always have Jenny” Sara shrugged.

“He's a teenager, you could give him the best present in the world and he'd still roll his eyes and sigh about consumerism just to make a statement.”

“I think he is sensible and righteous, he's growing into an awesome young man” Natasha told them, smiling towards Kyle, who was looking at one of his comic books with his sister peeking beside him. “You raised them well. Both of them.”

“We did” Elena whispered, looking at her kids. “I don't know how, but we did.”

“Well, you start to try to figure it out, because I'm going to need some advice really soon” Sara told her, trying to sound menacing and failing miserably.

“How about the two of you?” Elena asked Maria. “Isn't it time to start filling those extra seats you never let us forget your super car has?”

Maria looked to Natasha, her eyes going slightly bigger, while Natasha lowered her own and sipped her cider in order to avoid both answering and looking at her wife.

“I think I hear mom calling me” Maria raised a hand and pointed to the kitchen.

“I don't hear anything” Elena said in the most neutral tone.

“No, I really think she needs me, I better go check on her. Be right back.”

“How is Kyle doing with the new school?” Natasha asked.

She stroke a chord with Elena, who seemed like she would talk about her son's new subjects for hours, as the proud mother she was.

  


The dinner went smoothly, Maria had even exchanged a full six sentences with her brother without any passive-aggressiveness on either side.

The kids went to bed early, tired out from the afternoon of games with both Maria and Natasha, and their were next to announce they were tired and heading to bed.

They were staying in the basement, like every time they visited.

Maria changed first, slipping into bed and waiting for Natasha to follow.

The redhead turned the light off, leaving just the one on Maria's nightstand. She went into bed and slid until she was comfortably resting her head on Maria's shoulder, the brunette immediately accommodating her arms to embrace her.

“You could have told them, Mia” she said sleepily. “This is not another thing you want them to find out in the news.”

“I know. I just have no idea how to explain this to them.”

“Well, it's not that complicated. You don't have to tell them all the details.”

She meant how S.H.I.E.L.D. sometimes found and hid kids involved in tricky situation, like they had done with Daisy Johnson. They happened to rescue a six years old little kid who needed parents and they happened to have a big car and a big house.

So they just brought him with them, it was supposed to be temporary. But a week became a month, a month became actually seven months, and now Phil Coulson just decided enough time had passed that he could be moved and a family could foster him.

So they agreed to tell him they would do it, they would do anything to keep him. Coulson, of course, already figured as much. But Jessie had to do a check up, be tested by Fitz-Simmons for any powers, any illness, anything that might be different in or with him.

They didn't want to leave him, but they couldn't go with him, so they decided to spend that weekend in Chicago in order to distract themselves.

“I keep seeing his teary eyes. He thought we were leaving him” Maria whispered and then sighed heavily. 

“I'm calling Coulson, I just want to talk to him five minutes” Natasha turned and stretched her right arm to reach the phone on her nightstand. “I swear to God if he starts talking about biases again I _will_ fire his ass.”

“You don't have the authority to do that, Nat.”

“Maybe not, but my wife does and I know all her weaknesses. I can easily corrupt her.”

Maria chuckled lightly.

“Aren't you going to say anything?” Natasha raised an eyebrow while already dialing the number, still laid down half on top of Maria.

“Yes, I'm going to say I want to talk to him, too. So ask for ten minutes instead of five.”

“Well, look at you, all about the rules until they keep you from seeing your son” Natasha joked, but then she realized that was the first time one of them referred to Jessie as their son.

She popped herself up on her elbow and looked down at Maria, just in that moment someone answered the phone. Natasha put the speaker on.

“ _Romanoff, did something happen?_ ” his voice sounded like he was walking really fast.

“Yes, it's Christmas and I'd like to talk to Jessie for ten minutes.”

She heard Coulson sigh on the other end.

“ _It's November and you're going to see him in less then a day, you and Maria are acting like I'm kidnapping your child._ ”

“Technically” Maria chimed in before she could help herself “you took him away without his consent and any protest from us was ignored.”

“ _Maria, I didn't kidnap Jessie, I'm making sure he's safe, healthy and we're checking to see if he has powers. He's going to be home soon enough. I would say I'll have the Director reprimand both of you, but_ -” he sighed again, still sounding like he was walking fast. “ _Well_.”

“She's totally on my side on this one. In fact, I was only going to ask for five minutes, she was the one who suggested ten.”

Maria scoffed, outraged at being given away that easily.

“ _I'm putting him on, okay?_ ” he relented.

Natasha smirked. She would have bet that that was where he was walking so fast. If she knew Jessie even a little, she was sure he was making sad eyes at the floor, silently appearing like a dejected puppy and making everyone who saw him want to hug him for five hours. He was probably already well on his way to convince someone on Coulson's team to grant him a call already.

“Thank you, Phil” Maria told him, then they heard some voices in the background, he was probably explaining to Jessie what was happening.

“ _Hello?_ ” his voice was a little sad.

“Hey, little one” Natasha said softly. “How are you doing?”

“ _I'm okay, I just hope they say that I'm normal so I can come back_ ” he whispered back.

“You're coming home, Jessie, whatever they might find, we'll always bring you back home” Maria told him with no hesitation.

“And there's nothing wrong with you, whatever they might find, you're perfect as you are” Natasha added.

“ _So you still want me?_ ”

“Of course we do, sweetheart” Maria told him. “We'll bring you home as soon as we can, we promise.”

“Just say the word and I'm coming right now” Natasha said. “I'm breaking in and taking you home right away.”

That made him smile a little.

“ _It's okay, they say we're almost done anyway. Jemma said she's just waiting for some results, then we have to double check everything. Leo said you wanted to be here for the tests but it wasn't allowed, he said you probably want to pick me up as soon as Melinda gets the jet to the airport, without Daisy having to drive me back home. One of them was going to let me call you to decide when you can come_.”

Natasha smirked. He was already on a first name basis with the whole team, he was about five minutes away from charming his way out of there. She was so proud.

Maria raised an eyebrow at her smirk, knowing what she was thinking and making her 'just wait until he pulls this on you' face.

“We'll be there soon, little one” she said, still smirking. “We come back to New York tomorrow and we'll pick you up whether they're done or not.”

“No, we are going to follow the rules” Maria stated slowly. “Aren't we, Jessie? But if they're not done we are coming there and waiting with you, alright?”

“ _Okay, so I'll see you soon?_ ”

“As soon as we can” Natasha promised.

“ _Okay. Bye moms_ ” he said, then they heard some rustling, then Coulson was back on the phone instead of him.

“ _Tomorrow we should be done, you can even be home for dinner. We'll meet you at the airport when we land, since we're going back to New York with the jet_.”

“Alright Phil” Maria told him. “See you tomorrow.”

They hung up and Natasha put her phone back on her nightstand, resuming her position with her temple on Maria's shoulder.

“Did you hear that? He called us moms.”

“I heard” she said nervously. “Mia, what if I'm not good at this? Elena and Phil did such a great job with Kyle and Jenny, what if I'm really bad at this?”

Maria gently brushed her cheek to make her look up, then met her hesitant eyes with her loving gaze.

“You'll be perfect at this, Natasha. Jessie already loves you and you're doing just fine.”

“But what if I make a mistake and ruin him?”

Maria kissed her forehead.

“You _will_ make mistakes. We all do, parents or not, we're humans. I'll make mistakes, too. But we'll fix them or make them better, we'll keep trying and get it right. We'll learn.”

Natasha hugged her closer and sighed a little.

“I know _you_ will be perfect, but do you really think I can do this?” she asked, hesitantly.

“Well, you've been the perfect girlfriend” Maria countered. “And I don't mean the show you put on for a week, I mean the real you, every single day we've been together, you've been the perfect girlfriend. Then, you've been the perfect wife. And I think you will be the perfect mom, too, Natasha. You already are. I see how much you love him and how happy you make him.”

“It's easy, he's six.”

“Won't you love him when he's seven?”

“Well, yes. Of course I will.”

“We'll love him, support him, protect him. We'll try our best, Nat. We always do. And we never give up.”

Natasha smiled. They did. Maria was right, they would learn and, even though maybe not on the first try, they would get it right.

“I'm so glad I came here with you, at Sara's wedding. Did I ever tell you how that was pretty much the best decision I ever made?” she smiled and tilted her chin up to kiss her.

Maria smiled into the kiss.

“A couple times, yes. I agree, it was the best decision ever.”

She kissed her again, lingering.

“I'm so happy” Natasha whispered, finally feeling at peace in her own skin.

“I am, too” Maria smiled lovingly at her. 

The journey had been a little bit rocky, but in the end, they really had the perfect life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this through, thank you for reading this at all. You guys have been supporting and amazing, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
> 
> I'm in love with this pairing and I'm already working on the next project (unrelated to this story).
> 
> I love you all.


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